


La Dame et L’espion

by geraldinegrenadine



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 19th century England/France, Action, Angst, Angst?, F/M, Fluff, Here we go, Kinda, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Romance, Secret Agency, Secrets, Spies, The Lady and The Spy, XD, adrienette - Freeform, and stuff, eventually lewl, guns and other shiznit, inspired by love lies and spies by cindy anstey, james bondish, ladrien, not rlli an expert in tagging but, spy AU, ull get what i mean, welp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-08-31 08:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 132,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8572237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geraldinegrenadine/pseuds/geraldinegrenadine
Summary: In which a lady fell for someone she should not; an undercover spy.





	1. Names and Games

_In which a lady met a dapper young man who does not only posses such mesmerizing eyes, but is filled with secrets as well._

 

Marinette tightly wrapped her coat around her slim and trembling body as the chilly air slapped her pink cheeks. Droplets of snow had begun gathering themselves on her hair and lashes. She rubbed her hands together, aching to feel some warmth. The coach had still not arrived and she was already freezing to death. She knew full well that she told Alya to come back for her after she’s done shopping on the other side of the square. But now, Marinette was not sure if her friend had remembered her request at all.

Alya was an avid shopper; she knew that too well. What Marinette didn’t understand was the fact that she still considered coming with Alya whenever she desires to go on a  _quick_ trip to the square to buy a new sketchbook. For Alya, a “quick trip” pertains to two hours or three being the longest.

Regal lampposts began to be covered in snow as it lit London’s main square. Click-clacks of horseshoes echoed through the pebbled streets in sync with clatters of shoes and heels, and wheels of coaches trundling through the streets.

It had only been a month since the first time she ever set foot in London. Her parents insisted that it would be nice if Marinette would break free from her room in Paris for a bit and discover the world we are walking on. She was never an outdoor person and she honestly preferred the comforts of her bedroom than being in a crowded place like this. But then again, her vacation wasn’t too bad at all. She and Alya were staying in an extravagant mansion that belonged to her parents’ long time friends; and Mr. & Mrs. Lavillant have been nothing but kind to them.

Marinette felt her mouth water as the warm aroma of pastries wafted though the air. She supposed that she could buy a bread or two while she was waiting for her friend. Her stomach was beginning to grumble after all.

Finally decided, she crossed the street, stuck her shaking hands underneath her armpits and kept her head down. Alya should be back by now. Marinette made a mental note on reminding her friend about what a  _quick trip_ meant. And she was certain that Alya would be talking about nothing but her newly bought children- also known as dresses and corsets –on their way home. Marinette was in fond of clothes, sure, but it wasn’t to the point that-

“Watch where you are going!” someone shouted.

Before she could even process what was happening, Marinette was swerved to the side and was immediately engulfed in strong arms with her face buried on a warm chest.

What in the world had just happened?

“You really ought to look at where you are going, Miss. You would have been crushed by now if I had not saved you.”

Marinette froze in place. She was not familiar with that voice nor had she ever heard it. Ever so slowly, she looked up to see whose arms she was in.

She felt her breath hitch as her eyes found his.

He looked  _glorious._

His gentle green eyes almost made her legs wobble and his perfectly messy blonde hair didn’t look unpleasant at all.

He tilted his head at her. “Miss? Are you all right?”

Marinette snapped out of her trance. “Y-Yes. I am yes-” Marinette shook her head, “All right. I am all right, I meant.”

He cocked his brow at her. “Are you certain? You seem to be still in shock.”

She wasn’t even aware of what had happened.

“May I ask why you swerved me off the street?” she asked. The last thing that she remembered was crossing the street to buy some bread for her grumbling stomach.

“A rushing coach was headed towards your way. You did not seem to be aware that you were about to die so I saved your family from shedding tears about the loss of their beautiful young daughter.” The man smirked at her. “Have I also mentioned that the horse was indeed humungous?”

Marinette blinked at him. Heat crept to her cheeks. “Th-thank you for saving me, good sir.”

“No harm done, my lady.” He grinned. “Would you let me know your name?”

Not only was he gorgeous but he was quite the gentleman as well.

“Marinette,” she replied.

Making her blush even harder than she already was, the man took her hand and placed a tender kiss on it all while looking straight into her blue eyes.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Marinette,” he lifted his fedora hat as a way of saying farewell and began to turn away from her.

Before Marinette could stop herself, “Might I know yours?” she called out to him.

The man looked back at her, a sly smile forming onto his lips. “Perhaps you could if we meet again.”

_What?_

Marinette scowled at him. The crowd between them was getting bigger. “But I told you mine!”

She heard him chuckle. “And I am forever grateful that you did, Princess. I must go now.” he said a little louder.

_Princess?_

“I look forward to seeing you again.” He smiled once more. “ _Au revoir._ ”

And with that, the man had completely disappeared in the sea of people.

“Hey! Wait!” Marinette gathered her skirt in her hands and sifted her way through the crowd to catch a hold of her saviour. Well, how unfair was that? She told him her name. What reason could it be that caused him not to tell his? And why was she even weaving herself through the throng of Britons? It wasn’t as if he was important or anything.

Marinette grabbed on a post and pulled her body away from the people. Someone had already stepped on her shoes. Alya was going to kill her if she sees it. So much of being an aspiring fashion designer who couldn’t even keep her clothes clean.

She blew on her bangs and folded her arms across her chest. What was up with that man? What’s so wrong with revealing your name to someone?

Or perhaps she was the one who got it all wrong.

Why did  _she_ tell her name in the first place?

What if he wasn’t the gentleman she thought he was? What if he was actually a serial killer who has interests on young girls and would later on stalk them to commit his crime?

_No._

That couldn’t be true. She really shouldn’t let her imagination go too far. And she should stop thinking about that green-eyed man.

“I am back!”

Marinette jumped at the voice.

“ _Mon dieu._ ” She pressed her hand on her chest to calm her heart that was pumping out of her chest. “Could you not do that again? You could’ve given me a heart attack!”

“Well, sorry. I did not mean to scare you.” said Alya.

Marinette sighed and her gaze landed on the too few paper bags that were hooked around Alya’s arm.

“It took you one and a half hour just to buy  _three scarves_?” Marinette deadpanned.

“Uh, yeah?”

“Are you serious? You wasted all that time for scarves?”

Alya rolled her eyes at her friend. “Finding a perfect scarf for this weather takes much time than that. I am a connoisseur, Marinette. You must know that.”

Marinette groaned. They could have been home by now if it wasn’t for those silly scarves.

“What ever happened to you, though? You look flushed.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. She didn’t know that she was still blushing.

“Are you sick?” Alya began to place her palm on Marinette’s forehead but she slapped it way, grabbing her friend’s hand and hurriedly dragged her to the coach.

“I am not sick it is just because of the weather. Let us go home now, come on.” she said as fast as she could.

There was no need of telling Alya about the green-eyed man. It was just a one-time encounter after all.

Right?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wipeewoooo! This is the first story that I have ever posted online. phew. I was a bit reluctant at first but, ah, well. I couldn't just let them rot in my computer. OwO. Anywho, I hope you guys liked iiiiiit! :) Chapter two will be coming up tomorrow. :D :*


	2. Missions and Restrictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a gentleman deeply regrets the words he has uttered and is pulled in a responsibility wherein he resembles a soldier walking on a battlefield without any gun.

_“I look forward to seeing you again.”_

Adrien buried his head on his hands. What has gotten into him? Why in the world would he say that? Of all the things that could come out of his mouth why did it have to be that? He couldn’t see her again. He  _shouldn’t._ It was against everything he trained for. He knew that coming back to London was a bad idea. He should have stayed in France instead. Or in a place where it was less likely for him to interact with anyone besides his colleagues. A place where there are no women like  _her._

A beautiful and sophisticated-

Oh, what was he thinking?

He should stop this. And he had no intention of having Nino lecture him until the Sun goes down just because he had told a certain maiden that he would like to see her again.

Preposterous.

A fist slammed down on his table. “Now what in the world is wrong with you?”

Adrien lifted his head up and saw Nino with a furious and questioning look on his face.

“You have been spacing out for the past hour and you kept on saying  _preposterous_ for at least two minutes now.” Nino leaned his hip against the table. “Spit it out already.”

Adrien let out a frustrated groan. “There is nothing to spit out. I am perfectly  _fine._ ”

Nino laughed once out of humor. “And you think I would believe you? Look, Adrien, I have known you for years. Do not expect me to fall for those silly lies of yours. That is never going to work. And have you forgotten that we are spies? You know, those type of skilled people who can figure out if someone is lying or not just by listening to them breathe.”

“I know that.” Said Adrien. “But I am not keeping anything. I am just tired and unbelievably famished.”

“Have you not eaten something from your trip to the main square?”

_No. I found something else, in fact._

Adrien shook the image out of his head. “I have not.”

“Poor guy.” Nino said, teasingly. “Sucks for you we have no time for a quick break. Nathaniel called us a while ago- while you were stuck deep in your sulking mode. He said that the boss wants to talk to us. It is a new assignment, I presume.”

Adrien pushed on his foot to swivel his chair towards Nino. “Nathaniel? The new assistant?”

“Yep. Mr. Red-head guy. Boss is already giving him a hard time. I pity him. He seems rather too kind.”

“What assignment is it?”

Nino huffed. “I have no idea. Let us go.” He grabbed Adrien’s arm and yanked him up from his chair making him grimace from the tight grip.

Adrien has been involved in the world of secret agents ever since he was thirteen. It all started when a group of people began threatening his father. He remembered his father conducting a drastic lockdown on their home that lasted for over a year. Adrien didn’t fully understand what happened then or what had caused it. But he had the idea that it might be one of his father’s enemies that he had obtained from the competitive world of business.

That’s when his father enrolled him on a special program in the outskirts of France. Since then, he has been a part of the secret agency with Nino. Six years passed and they were known as one of the agency’s skilled spies. Which also meant that they are the ones who are often trapped with missions they didn’t even want to be a part of- no matter how easy or dangerous it could be. His father didn’t seem to care though. So long as Adrien is able to breathe in the end, any perilous mission shouldn’t matter.

“Ah, there you two are.” said Head Agent Sinclair as they entered the room. “Take a seat.” he gestured at the two wooden carved chairs in front of his desk.

Adrien caught a glimpse of the thick folders that Agent Sinclair placed on the desk.

_This is going to be one long and complicated mission, I suppose._

“So, as you probably expected I am here to give you your new assignment.” Sinclair began.

“Hurray!” Nino feigned his excitement.

Adrien bit his lip to prevent himself from laughing.

“Yes.  _Hurray_. For this might be the most serene mission you have ever had.”

Nino’s jaw had gone slack. “Seriously?”

“Yes.” Sinclair confirmed. He handed them the two folders. “Here is everything you need to know about them. The reason behind the thick files is that you have to pose as my two nephews who live in France. This is a tricky mission because the clients must not know that you are spies.”

Adrien’s brow shot up. “And you said that this is the most serene mission we will ever have.”

Sinclair stood from his chair. “Serene in a way that there will be no guns aimed at you, watching your every move. In this case, all you have to do is pretend. The client is a very close friend of mine, childhood friend if you may. And I have heard from over yonder that his family is being threatened with him not knowing about it. I do not want to him to worry that is why I have decided that I have to make sure that his family could rest easy through this trial.”

“But what if he realizes that we are not your nephews from France? Will he not recognize them?” Nino asked as he flipped through the pages of his folder.

“No. He will not. He has never seen them. But I have informed him that my nephews will be having a vacation here in London and that it would be nice if he would let you tag along with his trips or at least with his daughters and her friends in order for you to be knowledgeable with the European culture.”

“In short we have to be bodyguards.” said Nino.

“Bodyguards in disguise.” Sinclair corrected.

“Also known as spies.” Adrien muttered, finally opening the file.

“Where is the fun in that?” Nino took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes. “Do you even have these so called nephews in France?”

Sinclair glared at him. “Let me remind you that a spy’s work is never  _fun._ And no. I do not have nephews in France.”

“What the hell? And he believed that you have actual nephews? I thought you were childhood friends?”

Nino and Sinclair’s silly debacle drowned out of Adrien’s ears as his eye twitched as he saw what name he has been given for this mission. He would rather pretend to be mute than tell everyone that  _this_ was his name.

“You named me  _Chat_?” Adrien looked at the Head Agent with a cross of petrified and unamused look in his green eyes.

Sinclair faced him. “Yes. Is there a problem?”

Adrien ran a hand down his face. “There are many obvious French names but of all the names in this world why did it have to be Chat? You do know that it literally translates to cat, correct?”

Nino’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. He hurriedly opened his file to search for his given name.

Sinclair folded his arms. “Yes, I do know that full well. I got tired of picking a name so I chose that instead.”

_What an absolute joke._

If only he had the choice to walk away from this mission he would have done that from the moment he saw his darn pretend name.

“Niño? You named me  _Niño_?!” Nino yelled.

“Keep your mouth shut, Lahiffe!” Sinclair scolded. “There is no turning back now, I have already told him your names.”

Adrien and Nino grunted in sync.

“Study your files well. I need not to give you furthermore briefing since you are one of the best spies we have. Your mission starts in two weeks. You are now dismissed.”

Adrien gathered the files in his hand and decided that he would read them tomorrow. He’s not ready to begin with this assignment yet. He couldn’t even get over his name for heaven’s sake.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Sinclair called out as they opened the door. “No forming of any deeper relationships with anyone in this mission. It would be best if you will remain a ghost to them after this mission. We could not risk blowing your cover. That is all.”

_Forming deeper relationships, huh?_

Adrien was an expert when it comes to that. There was no need of reminding him of that rule.

He would keep his feelings locked deep within him throughout this mission.

Piece of cake.

           

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you veryyyy much for having interest in this story! :) :) Alarming secrets and disturbing doubts will start to form in the next chapters. ;) Thank you againnn! :*


	3. Fate and Mind State

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a lady finally meets the man behind the tantalizing eyes haunting her dreams.

Marinette didn’t feel like separating herself from her bed at all. The weather’s too cold and she barely had any sleep last night. She was finishing her sketches and intended for it to last for at least an hour. But then it resulted to her not sleeping until the clock ticked to 3 A.M. Once she gets a hold of her pen, it always seems too impossible for her to let it go. Drawing has been her hobby ever since she was little. A few years ago, one of her designs made it in a magazine famous for teens in France. It truly was a dream come true.

The pounding on her door made her sink beneath the duvet even more. She didn’t want to get up yet. If only there was no one to bother her today so she could stay deep in her sheets till the sun goes down; now that would be enlightening. But based on the loud knocks that’s been going on for a minute now, Marinette knew that she would not be blessed with that wonderful day.

“Mari! Get your derriere off that bed! Breakfast is ready!” Alya shouted.

Marinette buried her head under her pillow. She had not even brushed her teeth yet.

“That is it. You give me no choice. I am coming in!” Alya exclaimed.

The knob turned and the dark haired maiden came thundering in Marinette’s room. Alya pushed the curtains aside before stomping towards the foot of the bed. Without warning, she pulled the sheets off, causing Marinette to squeal from the sudden coldness that hit her skin.

“Just as I thought.” Alya sighed. She grabbed Marinette’s ankles, dragging her to the edge of the bed.

“Stop! I am up! I am getting up!” Marinette shouted, prying Alya’s grip off her ankles. It didn’t even last a minute and yet there was already a faint red mark around it.

“Did you have to be too aggressive?” Marinette scowled.

Alya guffawed. “Oh, dearie, that is nowhere near my aggressive side at all.”

“I pity your future lover.”

She stood up from the bed and made her way to the bathroom.

“Hey, hold on for a moment. What do you possibly mean by that?” Alya demanded, following her friend.

“I would not be surprised if he ends up getting beat up by you just in your first month of being a couple,” she said and placed a decent amount of toothpaste on her toothbrush.

“I beg your pardon?” Alya said, giving her a dirty look. “And I pity your boyfriend for having to accustom himself to your too cheesy and lovey-dovey public display of affection fantasies. A guy as dull as gray could turn into sugary pink from the moment you lay your hands on him," she shot back.

Marinette spat the paste on the sink and rinsed her mouth. “I am not too cheesy.”

Alya placed her hands on her hips. “Suit yourself,” she said and walked out of the room.

 

~

 

Breakfast with the Lavillants has never been boring. Mr. Jermaine and Mrs. Rosella always had a story to tell; either it be one of their adventures or of their daughters Rose and Juleka. Juleka was a year older than Rose, while Rose was a year older than both Marinette and Alya. The girls have been nothing but lovely to them since they’ve arrived their mansion. Rose was an exceedingly sweet girl, while Juleka is quite like the opposite of her sister, the two siblings still got along with each other and with their guests as well.

“Have you heard of the news, Juleka? Alix’s parents has begun planning her and Kim’s wedding.” announced Rose as they sat on a round table for afternoon tea.

Juleka looked at her sister. “Alix and Kim? As far as I know the two of them never got along. A marriage between them would be a catastrophe.”

“Well, that is arranged marriage for you. It scarcely chooses the right person for the other so long as it would benefit the family and not the couple. Successful arranged marriages are rare nowadays.”

“Juleka, your father mentioned a meeting between you and a noble man, did he not?” Alya asked as she sipped on her tea.

Juleka let out a deep sigh. “Yes. His name is Ivan and I have met him only once. But just from that, I found out that he is in love with someone else. I could not bear to force a man to marry me when his heart is with someone else.”

Marinette wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Have you told Mr. Jermaine about it?”

“I have, and he fully understood it. But the problem is with Ivan’s father. He wants us to get married as soon as he ends it off with that girl.” Juleka hid her face with her hair. “I hope that he fights for her. I want him to be happy and I am not ready for marriage yet. I am only nineteen years old.”

Rose patted her sister’s shoulder, reassuringly. “Let us hope for things to go as we pray them to.”

Juleka only managed at nod.

“I wonder what would Alya do if ever she gets involved in a situation like this?” Rose pondered.

“One thing is for sure,” Alya crossed her legs, “I would have him out of my house before he even sets foot in it.”

Rose gasped.

Juleka smiled. “I knew she would say that.”

Rose turned to face her. “How about you, Marinette? What would you do? I am fairly certain that men would be interested with you once you are allowed for marriage. They would not waste having a chance of marriage with a kind and beautiful lady like you.”

“A marriage with a fine gentleman, perhaps? Any of the striking men here in London would suit you well,” added Juleka.

Marinette pushed her lips to the side, thinking.

What would she do?

“I would not be up for it, I guess.” She paused, a thought coming in her mind. “It would depend if I fall for him in the process but as much as possible I do not want to be involved in that kind of marriage. I want to let things happen naturally as they should be.”

Marinette was never fond of arranged marriages. Having someone pick your husband for you did not seem right for her. She was against it, in fact. Though she was not ready, she promised herself that if the time comes that she has to get married, she would want it to be with someone she loves and not with someone that was picked for her because it looked right. Marinette wanted it to _feel_ right.

“If ever that is to happen,” Alya began, “I am willing to be in charge of the dirty work for Mari.” She proclaimed. “Meaning shaving that man’s head if he dares to do something against her will.”

They erupted in a fit of laughter.

Marinette knew that she would always have Alya to support her no matter what. Actually, only when she’s in the right path. Alya would never tolerate her wrong decisions.

“Girls we would have to interrupt your chat for a bit.” Mrs. Rosella said, entering the room. She wore a beautiful red velvet dress with black lace lining the tips of her gown, sleeve and the scoop of her neckline. Marinette suddenly felt sheepish. She only wore a simple pastel pink dress with a sweetheart neckline.

Mr. Jermaine stood beside his wife. “A friend of mine asked me for a small favor of touring his two nephews here in London. I am hoping that you girls would help them explore the beauty of our city. Speak to them in French if you must, Alya and Marinette,” he said, glancing at the two of them, “They have just arrived here in London from France. I will let them in so that we could have a proper introduction.”

He turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Rose squealed. “Oh, what do you think they look like? I have not been in France since we travelled there five years ago. They must be really charming," she swooned.

Alya scoffed. “Not all Parisians are charming in my experience.”

“Alya.” Marinette shushed, nudging her friend’s elbow.

“What? It is true, is it not? Do you remember that lame excuse of a boy who stuck not one but three candies- with his saliva, might I add, -on your hair that has become the root of you not letting your hair grow past your shoulders.”

“It happened long ago Alya, let it go.”

“And what about that time when that brainless jerk purposely tripped you when we were four years old? Uncle Tom was furious. If my mind serves me not, you lost at least two of your baby teeth.”

The door has opened but Marinette didn’t get the chance to look at the emerging figures because Alya started on a new tale again.

“And how could I ever forget Francois the idiot. Not only did he put glue on your hair but he put some on mine as well! Could you believe that kid? He-”

Marinette cut her off, finally standing. “Yes, I get it, Alya. Stop your stories for a while, do you not think it is inappropriate for us to keep on chatting while the guests are to be introduced?”

“Ugh, you are no fun at all,” she pouted.

“At least I am being courteous.”

“Whatever.”   

“Now, let me introduce our guests as well, Alya and Marinette,” said Mrs. Rosella.

Marinette plastered on a smile when she heard her name. But as soon as her eyes caught the sight of a too familiar pair of eyes, her jaw dropped.

That’s him.

 _The_ him.

“Ladies, this is Niño and Chat,” Mrs. Rosella stood beside them. “You will be spending your time with them along with Rose and Juleka for the remainder of their stay. Gentlemen, if there is anything you need, feel free to ask the girls or me and my husband,” she gave them a warm smile.

The man with the glasses approached her first. He took her hand and gave it a curt shake. “Good day to you, I am Niño, and I suppose that you are Marinette.”

Marinette was still in shock of what she has just seen.

Was it really him?

“Yes. Nice to meet you,” she replied, tumbling on her words.

Niño gave her a suspicious look before moving on to Alya.

Maybe it wasn’t him.

Perhaps it was a gentleman that had the same exact eyes as that man from the main square had. Or it could be that she was just seeing things. Or maybe this wasn’t really happening. Maybe this was just a dream of some sort. Maybe-

“Miss?”

That voice.

Marinette gulped.

Before she knew it, she was face to face with him again. Just as she was two weeks ago.

He bowed his head and took a hold of her hand. “Pleased to meet you,” he said and kissed her hand just like he did before. But this time, he wasn’t looking at her.

And Marinette wanted him to look.

“Chat,” it came off more of a whisper.

He looked at up at her and a slow smirk crept on his mouth. He gave her hand a squeeze.

“And so we meet again, Marinette.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;) ;) ;)


	4. Cats and Chitchats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Miss Marinette eventually had a proper exchange of words with Mr. Chat.

Marinette rushed to her room as soon as they finished dinner. She kept her head down throughout the whole meal. There was even a moment where she felt as if Chat was staring at her. She avoided his eyes as much as she could. The two new guests left the mansion just after dinner and she didn’t get the chance to say goodbye because she was already up in her room. Alya didn’t get the chance, too, for she was in need of the bathroom.

Marinette jumped on her bed, not bothering to dry her hair. She just wanted to sleep and forget about that man. She wasn’t certain if he really was pleased to see her. If anything he looked rather amused as if he was planning on doing something that would make her embarrass herself. But he didn’t seem that kind of guy.

Maybe.

She didn’t even know why she was feeling this way. It might be because of the scene she’s created on the main square and how desperate and ridiculous she must have looked just so she could know his name.

_Chat._

So his name was Chat, after all.

Truth be told, she thought that his name might be more unique and unusual. Not that Chat wasn’t unique. Marinette found it…charming. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest. She wondered why he was named after a rather lovely animal. Maybe she could ask him once they meet each other again.

Flipping to the side, she squished her cheek onto the mattress. When they meet again, one of the many, many things she hoped for is that for her not get tangled up in her words or stutter or blush too much. That would be really embarrassing.

Shaking her head, she ended her thoughts of him right then and there. Why was she so concerned of that man anyways?

 

~

 

Running her fingers across the spines of leather covered sketchbooks, Marinette listened as Alya excused herself to shop yet again. But this time, Marinette asked her to let the coach stay behind so that she could go home at any time if Alya takes too long. Luckily, her friend agreed; rather unwillingly, that is.

Rose and Juleka left early with Niño and Chat. Marinette did not know where they went but she’s heard from Mrs. Rosella that the girls are going to give them a tour around a famous manor in London. Alya wouldn’t have wanted to join that tour; she’d only yawn at every two minutes that passed by.

Marinette struggled on picking a journal of her taste. She decided that she would document her stay in London as much as she could. Instead of using some of her free time for sketching new dresses, she could use a part of it for working on her journal. Her parents would be undoubtedly pleased.

She wondered if she would include the part where she met Chat. It wasn’t that much of an important happening. It was rather humiliating, actually. And Alya might read it, too. Now that Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant entrusted the two gentlemen to them, Marinette knew that she would see him more often. She was very certain that their past encounter was only a one-time thing. It just so happens that it was far from that.

Turning on an aisle, she reached the European inspired section. She might find a journal of her liking there. The shop was alluring to begin with. Carved arches bedecked with intricate whorls stood before each section. Twines formed at the top, forming the name of a particular division at the center. Mini chandeliers hung at the frescoed ceiling. The shop smelled of candles and wood.

Marinette pulled a polka dotted notebook from the rack. It resembled a ladybug. She was always fond of those creatures; they looked very lovely and she could stare at them for hours. She has already made a collection of dresses inspired by ladybugs. One of her dreams was to see at least one of those sketches in actual sewn fabric.

Her gaze then landed on a cream leather journal with a very detailed carving of the Eiffel tower. Marinette wasted no time of grabbing it from the rest. Suddenly, she felt herself missing home. She missed the smell of pastries that wafted up from her room every morning and afternoon. She missed her parents and her friends back in Paris. She even missed her ladybug plush toy that she named Tikki. It only had been a month but she felt as if the time she’s spent away from home was more than that.

“Missing home?”

Marinette spun around to see who it was.

It was Chat.

_What is he doing here?_

Marinette looked down on her journals, “I thought you and your friend were with Rose and Juleka?”

“We were,” he replied. “The tour is finished. I figured that I might as well stop by the main square to buy a journal.” His eyes found the journals in her hand. “And I suppose that we have the same interests of going here.”

Marinette gulped.

 _It was plain coincidence._ She thought.

“I am not really an expert when it comes to these things.” he said, flipping through a spiraled notebook, “I would have to ask you to pick one for me instead.” He smiled at her. “Will that be all right?”

“Have you not seen anything that fits your liking?”

Chat shook his head. “Nothing. They all look the same to me.”

Marinette’s brows rose. “But they have a variety of designs.”

Chat buried his hands in his pockets. “I will leave it to you, then. Which of these designs suits me the most?”          

How was she supposed to know?

“I do not really…know you…” she trailed off, “entirely.”

“A wild guess would do,” he shrugged.

Was he challenging her? Or was it a way of telling him of her first impression towards him? Marinette didn’t know how she could pick a design that depicted _glorious_. Because as far as she remembered, the first thing she thought of when she saw him was that word.

She turned on her heel and began to search. _What could it be?_ She tapped her finger against her lip as she scanned each journal. She paused on a particular rack when her eyes caught something that she thought would best describe him. It was black leather with a cat’s paw print colored in green in the middle. His name translates to cat after all. Having this journal would be a no-brainer for him.

“You have got to be kidding me,” he said from behind her.

Marinette faced him, a smile tugging on her lips. “It is perfect. It _really_ suits you.”

He cocked his head at her. “Are you mocking me?”

“No.” Marinette giggled.

Well, maybe she was.

“I refuse to buy that thing,” he said, crossing his arms.

“But you said that you would let me pick one for you.” She reminded him. “And I want you to have this,” she said, unable to stop herself from smiling.

Chat’s brows drew together as he glared at the notebook in her hand. He must really despise his name.

“Fine.” He said, giving up. “Just because you hand-picked it yourself.” He snatched the journal from her. “Remind me not to let you pick anything for me ever again.”

“Why are you named after cat?”

Chat winced. “Do not ever ask.”

Marinette laughed. She realized that teasing him was kind of fun.

As they paid for the journals, Marinette noticed that the girl behind the cashier looked at Chat way too long. She even messed up the prices. Marinette couldn’t blame her, though. Chat was really attractive. A few of the customers even glanced at him more than once. She wished she could hear what they were saying about him. It was probably about his good looks.

The gold bell hung before the door rang as they left the store.

“ _Purr_ fect.”

Marinette’s head snapped towards Chat.

Did he just?

“Was that a pun?” she asked.

Chat looked at her. “What? Am I not allowed to? And for your information, it was your fault, young lady.”

The corners of her mouth quirked up. “I just did not expect it, I guess. You do seem like a very serious person.”

Chat laid his hand on the low of her back as they crossed the street. Marinette felt warmth shooting to her neck.

As fast as she felt it, his hand was immediately back to his side. “Oh, really? Did that pun taint your first impression of me?”

Marinette shook her head. “Not really.”

They stopped beside the coach that was missing its coachman. _Where could he have gone to?_ Marinette hoped for him to be back before Alya does. She wants to go home as soon as possible so that she could work on her new journals. She wasn’t sure if Chat was coming with them. Maybe she could ask him later.

“Do you want to know my first impression of you?” he said out of the blue.

Did she?

“What is it?”

Chat took a step towards her. He leaned down, stopping just when his eyes levelled with hers. Marinette felt her face flame. What was he doing? What was he going to do? He…

He wasn’t going to kiss her, was he?

Marinette could feel his breath on her lips.

His hand caught a strand of her hair and twirled it in his finger. “The first time I saw you,” he paused.

Her heart was hammering out of her chest.

He let her hair go.

“I thought of how beautifully,” he paused again.

Was he going to make her beg? Because at this point, she was willing to do so. And what was with the dramatic pauses?

He drew his face closer.

 _Much_ closer.

“Clumsy you are.”

Marinette’s slightly parted lips snapped shut.

_Really?_

She glowered at him and pushed on his nose to regain distance.

“What?” he chuckled. “Were you not happy with my confession?”

Marinette huffed. He was making fun of her.

“I am not.” she declared.

“I did say it was beautiful.”

“That did not make any sense.”

“Were you expecting that I ought to say something else?’

Marinette stopped dead on her thoughts.

He was right. She was expecting something else. She wanted it to be as good as her impression of him. But then again, that was impossible. She was on the brink of getting crucially injured on the first time they met. Appearing demure and ladylike is not possible- for Marinette –in that kind of situation.

“I was not.” She said. “I was expecting you to be nice.”

“It _was_ nice.”

_And yet he was still laughing at her._

“I said that you were beautifully clumsy.” he said.

“Yes, well, adding a positive adverb to that does not change a thing.”

Chat stared at her with an amused grin on his face. “My, are we having our first argument, Princess?”

Marinette’s eyes widened at his endearment. She forced herself not to blush furthermore. “We-we are not arguing!” she said, desperately. “‘It is just a mild disagreement. A-and do not call me princess because I am most definitely not.”

“Then I suppose that I shall have you as my princess instead,” he said.

Marinette choked on her spit.

_What?!_

She opened her mouth and then closed it when she found nothing appropriate to say. She pursed her lips and started heading to the entrance of the coach.

“I am going home.” she said and crossed her legs as she sat down.

Chat still looked amused.

“Just how are you going home without a coach?”

Marinette inwardly cringed.

_Where in the world is that man?_

She stood up and stomped off the coach. “Then I am walking home.”

“I will walk with you.”

“No,” she adjusted the belt on her dress. “You are going to stay here and wait for Alya.”

“And I will do that because?”

“Because I said so.” said Marinette. “Tell Alya that I already went home. Good bye,” she walked past him, not daring to even take a quick glimpse back at Chat.

“Are you fairly certain that you can walk all the way to the Lavillants while wearing heels?” he called at her.

“I am not wearing heels!” she shouted back.

It was a good thing that she decided to wear flats for today. And the mansion wasn’t too far away from the main square. She could really use some exercise anyways.

“Stay safe, Princess!”

She could still hear the laughter in his voice.

Marinette grunted.

“Do not call me that!”

_Jerk._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) :) :)
> 
> *Ps. the next chapter has moar fluff.* >_


	5. Curious Tugs and Ladybugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are lack of clues that lead to the probability of a blossoming predicament for Mr. Adrien and his alter-ego.

Adrien felt the corner of his mouth tug upwards as he remembered his small debate with Marinette a few days ago. He could not believe that she walked back to the mansion with her small feet instead of waiting for the coachman. Despite his better judgment, he was actually quite disappointed that she left him there alone. He did not have that much fun with Alya as much as he did with Marinette. That maiden truly was something else.

And he should really stop thinking about her.

Ah, well, he likes teasing her. And she blushes a whole lot.

“Adrien, you are starting to creep me out. Wipe that grin off your face, could you?” Nino threw a towel at Adrien.

Nino was right. He must have looked like a creep.

“Do you have anything to report to Sinclair?”

Adrien shook his head. “Apart from the Lavillants being too convinced of our act, there is nothing more that I could think of. If he had not told us about the threats, I would never think that, that family is in danger.”

“True.” Nino agreed. “Hey, is it just me or is Lady Alya awfully mean?”

Adrien titled his head, leaning back on his chair. “I would not say awfully mean, per se. But she was not as welcoming as the other girls, I suppose.”

He remembered the string of questions Alya had asked him while they rode on the coach. She quizzed him about his mere presence there and of course, of her friend, Marinette. He tried to respond to her as polite as he could but she was questioning him as if he was attempting to marry her friend. The thought itself made him cackle.

Adrien ran a hand through his hair. “Why did you ask?”

Nino’s nose flared. “I swear, if you saw how many death glares she has been shooting at me, you would think of the same thing.”

Adrien snickered. “And why do you seem so upset? Are you interested in her, Nino?”

Nino’s posture, stilled. He grimaced. “What are you talking about? Seriously, Adrien, if anything, that girl has a heart of a sadist. That is not- and will never be –my thing.”

“You are quite a masochist yourself.” Adrien teased.

Terror overtook his face. “Oh, you little-”

Nino was cut off as the door to their office opened, revealing Sinclair. “Gentlemen, good afternoon. Let us now proceed with our meeting.”

Nino shot Adrien a glare.

“Do you have anything to report? Any risks? Clues? Leads?”

Adrien and Nino kept their mouth shut.

Sinclair’s shoulders slumped. “Anything at all?”

Nino started whistling, innocently looking around his surroundings.

Sinclair rubbed his temples, squeezing his eyes shut. “I suppose you have not gathered anything.”

“ _Ding. Ding. Ding!”_ exclaimed Nino.

Adrien pushed on Nino’s shoulder, suppressing his laughter. Sinclair did say that this was their most serene mission yet. He didn’t expect them to have anything major to report, didn’t he?

Sinclair scratched on his balding head disappointedly. “Why did I even call for this meeting.” He sighed. “Understood. You will have to continue guarding the Lavillants until any type of lead or clue comes up. I have already told you how important this mission is for me.”

“We shall do our best.” Adrien promised.

He has experienced what was it like to have your family threatened. If it were his childhood friend’s family, he knew that he would be just as concerned as Sinclair was. Especially if it was Nino’s. Adrien didn’t have many friends growing up. He was homeschooled when he was younger and that had prevented him from making any friends or interacting with other people normally. He was glad and utterly surprised when his father allowed him to become a spy and enrolled him in a program in the first place. Perhaps he, too, was greatly affected by what had happened in their family years ago.

“Very well, then. Meeting dismissed. Your horses are waiting outside. I have heard from Jermaine that the young maidens are out and about in Chelsea Physic Garden. You do know the way, right?”

“Do not look at me,” said Nino.

Adrien stood and slipped his coat on. “I shall lead the way.”

 

~

 

Luckily, London’s weather wasn’t too harsh today. The snow was gradually thinning and the temperature wasn’t as cold as it was before anymore. When they arrived the venue, Adrien hopped off his horse and securely tied its leash on a metal barricade. The garden wasn’t crowded; Adrien doubted that they’d find any leads in this place. And Nino didn’t appear to be pleased with coming.

The grass lining the pebbled road remained clean and well trimmed, though it barely could be seen because of the snow, it was still indeed pristine. Flowers sprouting from their beds adorned every corner. The gardeners seemed to have picked plants that suited the weather well. On one side there were square patches that had a variety of flowers accompanied with a small white board attached to the center that contained its name.

“Any guess where could they be?” Adrien brushed the snow off his shoulders.

“ _Pfft_. Wherever the pretty flowers are, that is where we will find them,” answered Nino. “I cannot even stand being in this kind of place.” Nino sneezed. “So many earthy scents,” he sneezed again.

“Do you not want to see Alya?” said Adrien with a teasing tone.

Nino punched his side. Hard.

Adrien recoiled. He swallowed a grunt. “I was only teasing!”

“Yeah, well, do not tease me with that woman.”

From the far end of the path, Adrien caught a sight of carriage dresses and silk skirts.

“Speaking of which, there they are,” he said nodding at their direction.

It was Rose who had seen them first. She waved from them to come over.

“Monsieur Chat! Monsieur Niño!” she greeted. “What are you both doing here?”

Alya had a sour look on her face.

And so did Nino.

“It sounded like you do not want them here,” she said.

“Oh, that is not what I meant!” Said Rose. “I was only wondering.”

Nino had no plan of replying, Adrien had no choice but to do it himself.

“Your father informed us that you are headed here. We have decided that we ought to pay a visit as well.”

Rose clasped her hands in delight and she began telling them about her favorite sections and flowers in the garden.

That was when Adrien noticed someone missing.

All of the girls were present except for one clumsy young lady.

When Nino was trapped with listening to Rose’s stories, Adrien took the chance to wander off to a different path. It had been a long time since he’s visited any garden in London. But he has to say that the gardens in France were far more exquisite. It might be because it was his home country, but the flowers there were truly captivating. It was one of the places he loved to go to when he was younger.

Especially when he was with his mother.

Mrs. Agreste passed away when he was just at the ripe age of ten years old. Everything had been well before her death. Those were the days when he considered their family as ‘normal’ or that it was just as loving and caring as the others- maybe even more –all because of his mother.

But when she died, everything changed; his father most of all. He never went back to his old self. Sure, his father was strict before but his mother’s personality was somehow the antidote of toning it down. They may be complete opposites but they were the perfect blend of bitter and sweet.

When Adrien saw his mother die before his eyes, it was the first and last time he had ever cried so hard that it got to the point where he was unable to breathe properly. He begged her not to leave. On her dying breath, she told him that she loved him and she hoped for Adrien to forgive her for leaving too early. And as soon as she closed her eyes, Adrien wanted nothing more but to hear her voice and see her smile again. He wanted nothing more but to feel her warmth.

His father had told him that she died because of an illness that she’s been keeping from them for a long time now. It had something to do with the bruises on her body that she had tried keep Adrien from seeing. But it was when the last time she held his hand that he saw the terrible bruises for the first time. His mother didn’t deserve to die, nor did she deserve to suffer in the first place. She blindsided them all.

Adrien screwed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. There was no point of getting sentimental at such a public place. He took a deep staggered breath, regaining his composure. He would not think about this now. He needs to focus on his mission.

Rounding up a corner, he stopped on his tracks when he saw a familiar blue-haired maiden.

She wore a deep red dress that looked simple but surprisingly elegant. Her hair was pulled back in a low bun as usual. He hasn’t seen her with her hair down yet. Adrien wondered what she’d look like.

But what he didn’t understand was why she was perching precariously on one of her hands as she leaned towards the defective fountain reaching with her other hand for God knows what. Anytime now, Adrien knew that she was going to slip, considering how clumsy she was.

She leaned closer.

Closer.

Closer.

And that was when she lost her balance.

Before he knew it, Adrien was rushing in her direction. He couldn’t even believe that he could run as fast as that.

He caught her arm and pulled her to him. She had not regained her balance and that had caused her to slam into him, sending both of them down on the snow-covered grass.

Adrien tightened his arms around her. She was breathing so fast. He could feel her beating heart against his chest.

“You really need to consider being careful, you know,” he scolded.

Marinette shivered. Her fingers were clawing on his coat. She must have been really scared. She looked at him with her big blue eyes. She was blushing again.

“Ch-Chat?” she stammered.

“It is me.”

Marinette looked surprised. She closed her eyes, shook her head and opened them again. Finally registering the fact that she was laying on top of him, Marinette gawked.

“Chat!” she screeched, jumping back. Her hand covered her mouth while the other was on her chest. She looked even more flushed now than a few seconds ago.

Adrien anchored himself up. “Do not look so surprised.” He offered his hand to her as he stood up. “Are you hurt?”

She took it and dusted her skirt with her shaking hands.

“What you-What are you doing here?” she rubbed her hands on her arms up and down, her eyes down casted.

Why wasn’t she looking at him?

Adrien saw the black scarf just beside his foot. He reached down for it and gave it a good sweep of his hand to remove the specks of snow.

“I just thought that going here might be a good idea.”

He wrapped the scarf around her neck, tying it in a knot that would flatter her dress. “Have you not brought a coat with you?”

Marinette was biting her lip. She shook her head, still looking down to her feet.

Clumsy _and_ unprepared. Adrien thought to himself.

He shrugged off his coat and put it around her.

At long last, her gaze landed on him.

“Wha-What are you doing?” she squeaked.

“Keeping you from freezing yourself to death,” he replied.

She pressed her lips together. “I-I brought it with me.” She defended. “I just left it at the coach.”

“It is forgetting it back in your closet all the same,” said Adrien.

Marinette breathed out a puff of air. “You are handsome but you sure are mean,” she mumbled.

Adrien cocked his brow. “What was that?” he didn’t clearly understand what she said.

Marinette held her head up high, securing his coat around her body. “Nothing,” she faced the other direction.

_What is it now?_

He crossed his arms. “Are you planning on arguing with me again?”

Adrien was not in the mood of having a silly debate with her again. Though he’d love to see her expressions, he’d rather jump on his bed and sleep till the sun comes up the next day.

He was getting cold. He had to get back to his horse before the air gets thicker. “If you do not need any more assistance I will be on my way.” Adrien took a step back to the path he came from, but he was held back by a tug on his shirt.

He turned around and saw Marinette with her head held down again.

“Chat?”

Adrien blinked down at her. “Yes?”

Her eyes met his and a genuine smile was on her rosy lips. “Thank you.”

Adrien was confused. “What for?”

“For saving me a while ago. And for…long ago.”

He did not know why but…it surprised him. He wasn’t really aching for a thank you or that he was expecting for one. He wasn’t used to people thanking him. Hearing her say those words was indeed overwhelming.

Adrien smirked at her. “Took you long enough.”

Instead of turning it to an argument, Marinette just beamed at him. “You like teasing me, don’t you?”

That caught Adrien off guard.

 _Way_ off guard.

He brushed it off. “That might be the case. But I like seeing that ridiculous look on your face whenever I tease you even more so.”

Marinette blanched. “I do not look ridiculous!”

He chuckled. “You really ought to look at the mirror, Princess.” Adrien began walking back on the path.

“I do look at the mirror.” She was back beside him in an instant. “And how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that!”

“This is only the third time that you have warned me about that,” he informed her.

“Had it not been more than ten?”

“My, not only are you clumsy and tend to be unprepared whenever I see you but you are also forgetful. I am learning facts about you faster than I thought,” he disclosed.

“You are just too mindful about everything!” she snarled at him. “And I am not unprepared nor am I forgetful, get your facts straight.”

He slipped her a quick glance. Marinette now had a rather adorable scowl on her lovely face.

“I might tease you harder if you keep looking like that,” he said.

Marinette adjusted the coat. “I do not even know what I look like.”

“Just a few minutes ago you were beaming at me and now you look as though you want to strangle me in my sleep.”

“You have not told me where you live.”

Adrien gave her a sly look. “Do you want me to show you?”

She retreated back, her flushed face now turned scarlet. “Wha-Why-Stop looking at me like that! I am not going anywhere with a pervert like you!”

Adrien laughed out loud. “I am a pervert now?”

“Yes-well, I do not know. Just do not look at me like that. It is unnerving.”

Adrien wiped the tears on his eyes. Coming to the garden wasn’t a bad thing after all- for him, perhaps. He wondered how Nino was doing with the others.

“I forgot to ask, why were you plunging yourself in the fountain earlier?”

Marinette glared at him. “I was not plunging. I was just,” she paused, seeming to think it over. “I was trying to get something.”

Now he was curious. “What was it?”

Marinette turned away. “I am not going to tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Because you would say that it is stupid and you would make fun of me again.”

Adrien’s eyes rolled heavenwards. “That depends on what you were trying to get a hold of.”

It might be an important locket or her journal. He wasn’t going to laugh at that.

“Well…” Marinette swiped her bangs to the side. “I was, uh,”

“You were?”

“Iwastryingtogettheladybug,” she replied, fastly.

He didn’t understand half of what she said. “Beg pardon?”

“I am not going to say it again.”

The only thing that sounded clear was _bug_ and _I_.

Bug.

I.

Adrien’s brow twitched as realization dawned to him. “Marinette,”

“Yes?” her voice sounded small.

“You did not almost fall down the fountain just so you could get a ladybug, did you not?”

Marinette laughed nervously. “You caught me red handed.”

Adrien wanted to slap himself right then and there.

He breathed out through his nose. “You know what? Let us not talk about that ever again. It would save me from debating if I should be proud of saving you or if I should have just let you fall so that you could finally learn the risks when you act before you think.”

Surprisingly,

Marinette giggled.

“What is wrong with you this time?” Adrien asked, annoyed

“Nothing.” She shook her head. “You sound just like my father.”

All the blood drained out from Adrien’s face.

Of all the things…

“Say that again and I will take my coat from you and leave you out here.”

Marinette giggled harder. “All right, all right. I will stop. You will only tease me back if I keep it up.”

_Damn right you are._

“Chat?”

Adrien groaned. “What now?”

“You would not leave me out here, would you?”

She’s caught him off guard quite a lot this day.

“That depends,” he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Thinking the situation through, Adrien realized that he might not. He was not looking forward to having Alya shoot daggers at him just as she was doing so with Nino. That might not be the only thing he’d get. He decided that for the time being, he would stay with Marinette. She did have his coat so he had no choice.

It was all just because of his coat.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UwU


	6. Balls and Brawls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which threats start to arise and a young maiden might be the apple of the predator’s eye.

The snow was starting to disappear and Marinette couldn’t be happier. She was tired of wearing a pile of clothing to keep herself warm. Though that also meant that she had to return Chat’s coat. It has been draped on her chair since the day he lend it to her. She didn’t get to return it to him while they were in the garden because he and Niño left earlier than them. She could have returned it to him when they saw each other after that but…she just wanted to keep it a little while longer.

A ball was set to be held tonight at one of London’s manors. The girls have asked Marinette to design a dress for them a week ago. She had a lot of fun making them and luckily, they all loved her designs. Marinette made one for herself, of course, but she decided to keep it simple. They were going to the main square today to pick up the dresses from the seamstress. Marinette could have sewn them on her own but making four dresses with her bare hands might take longer than a week.

She wondered if Chat was going.

And Niño as well, of course.

Marinette noticed that Alya wasn’t in good terms with Nino. She’s been glaring at him whenever she gets the chance to, or she’ll be in a sour mood once she senses Niño’s presence. There might be something going on between the two but Marinette wasn’t so sure. It could be that they must really hate each other.

They stepped down from the coach when they arrived the shop. Gentlemen and maidens came rushing in and out of the shop each carrying either a suit or a ball gown. The ball must really be big. Marinette has never attended one before, nor had she gone to a party. It was going to be a new experience, she thought. Though she was not really good at dancing. She might as well sit down for the rest of the evening to avoid stepping on anyone’s feet. Or she could always just busy herself with the food. It was going to be an extravagant ball, after all. There is no doubt that it would serve a delicious variety of food.

“Oh, I am so thrilled to see how your designs turned out!” Rose exclaimed, lacing her arm around Marinette’s.

“I hope that you would all like it.” Marinette said, nervously. And she also hoped that the seamstress stayed true to the design. It would irate her if the dresses looked far from what she intended them to be.

The space was mostly filled with racks filled with corsets and mannequins dressed with ball gowns. Someday, she would own a place just like this, maybe even bigger. She would be a successful designer and live her dreams to the fullest. Marinette knew that she still had a long way to go but she didn’t mind. She was just seventeen, after all.

“Ah, there you all are!” the seamstress greeted. She has a measuring tape draped around her neck and a thimble was still attached to her pointer finger. “Come along, your gowns are good to go.”

They followed her to the back of the shop where the other seamstresses are busy sewing different types of gowns. The seamstress reappeared from behind the curtain, she was now holding four dresses that was still inside a dark cloth. Marinette crossed her fingers, hoping that it all was all right.

“Let us all try it on, shall we?” Juleka offered, handing Marinette her gown.

“Yeah, I do not see why not.” Alya smiled.

Marinette nibbled on her bottom lip, taking the dress from Juleka. “All right.”

She made her way to the fitting room and hung the dress bag on the hook attached to the right side of the wall. Marinette’s fingers started shaking when they took a hold of he zipper. She closed her eyes shut as she quickly pulled the zipper down.

_Please let it look okay._

_Please let it look okay._

Slowly, Marinette peeled one of her eyes open.

And it was as though the dress had leapt out of her sketchbook. It looked exactly the same!

Marinette wasted no time of stripping out of her dress to put it on. She asked the seamstress not to include a corset in it because she didn’t want to take time dressing up and she was never fond of those things anyways. She avoids using them as much as she could.

Zipping the dress up, Marinette lifted her head and looked at the mirror.

The dress was _beautiful_.

It was made with chiffon fabric in the color of peach. The see-through puff sleeves with small ribbons at each side ended just a few inches above her elbows. The scoop of her dress was low but modest. Little flowers adorned the neckline. From the top to below her bust line, black beads was sewn in five columns, flattering the dress. Two thin strips of fabric wrapped just below the beads, accompanied by two small ribbons overlapping one another at the far left. Then a thicker strip of fabric that was a shade darker than the rest lined the ends of her gown.

Marinette twirled around, marveling at her dress. She loved that the seamstress really paid attention to detail. She left no bead unsewn. It might be the simplest dress among the others but Marinette loved it all the same. As her mother always tells her; simplicity is the key.

Now she was more than elated to go to the ball.

 

~

 

It took a lot of convincing before Marinette finally let Juleka style her hair without a ponytail. A small section of her hair from the right was pinned back with a red flower, leaving the rest of her hair flowing on her shoulders. She didn’t even notice that it had gotten much longer. She wasn’t used to letting her hair down. And now she was feeling a bit conscious.

They were now at the ball, waiting for the dance to commence. Marinette was not going to set foot on the dance floor. She decided on that as soon as they left for the manor. But Rose and Juleka had already found partners thanks to Mrs. Rosella. Alya didn’t want to dance, too. She said that she wasn’t in the mood.

But Marinette was still looking for a certain green-eyed jerk.

“Who are you looking for?”

Alya sipped on her wine, following Marinette’s gaze with her eyes.

Marinette turned her back from the sight of the door. “No one. I was just trying to…” she though of a proper excuse, “I was just trying to see if it is going to be crowded in here later.”

Alya narrowed her eyes at Marinette. “Fine.” She sighed. “I am just going to pretend that I believe you.”

“Hmph.” Marinette glowered.

“Worry not, he is going to come.”

Marinette’s head quirked up. “What?”

Alya rolled her eyes. “Monsieur Chat, idiot.”

“Wha-” she glanced around them, checking if someone was nearby, “What are you-of course not! I am not-I am not looking for _him._ He is a perverted jerk.” Marinette objected.

Alya chuckled. “Oh, really now?”

Marinette blinked at her, furiously. “Yes! Of course! Do not look at me like that.”

Alya laughed and patted her head. “Oh, Marinette,” she cooed. “Have I ever told you how transparent you are? Heavens, do you know how hard you are blushing right at this very moment?”

Marinette cupped her face. It was hot.

“Well, it is your fault because you are teasing me.”

Alya smirked at her. “That would have not affected you if you do not have any bit of liking towards that man.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “You are being absurd.”

“ _Ugh._ Why does that nitwit have to be here of all people?” Alya complained.

Marinette glanced back at the entrance and saw Niño. He was with a pretty maiden, too.

She slipped Alya a teasing look. “Are you jealous?”

“WHAT?!” Alya shouted, causing a few people to look at her. She apologized to them and lowered her voice, “Are you out of your mind? Why would I be jealous of that lame excuse of a man?”

Now it was Marinette’s turn to laugh. “Why are you so affected?” she mocked.

Alya chugged down her wine and wiped the side of her mouth with the back of her hand. “Excuse me while I find someone else to talk to,” she said and left her behind.

When the musicians began to play at the center stage, Marinette knew that it was time for the dance. She went to the end of the buffet table to go and find a hiding spot. She really didn’t want to dance.

But then a thought slammed into her.

If Niño was there. Then that must mean-

The air knocked out of her body as he saw him on the other side of the room. He looked handsome as ever. His suit fit him too well and he had taken off his fedora, showing a full display of his wonderful blonde hair.

But he was with another girl.

He’s not just with her, though. He was dancing with her, too.

And they were laughing.

Compared to hers, the girl’s dress was gorgeous. If she stood beside her someone might think that she’s a dolled up personal maid.

As much as she hated it, Marinette felt dejected. She shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up too much. And what was wrong with her in the first place? Chat was having a vacation just as she was. There’s nothing wrong with him mingling with other girls. But still, why was she feeling like this.

It couldn’t be…

It couldn’t be jealousy, couldn’t it?

Marinette shook the thought out of her head. No. That was most definitely not it. She was just imagining this. Perhaps she had too much wine. But she barely even sipped on her glass.

_Maybe coming to the ball was a wrong idea._

“May I have this dance?”

Marinette jumped at the voice.

He had no idea who this man was, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know.

“I apologize, Miss. Have I frightened you?” he asked.

Marinette swallowed. “A bit.”

He bowed his head, placing his hand on his heart. “My sincere apology, Miss.” He stood straight. “What is your name?”

She’s been in this situation before.

“What is yours?”

The man smiled. “What a cautious young lady. I am Théo Barbot,” he held out his hand.

Marinette eyed it suspiciously. “Mari,” she introduced and gave his hand a quick shake.

“Do you want to go outside for a breath of fresh air?”

What an odd question.

Marinette’s eyes skirted at the end of the room. Chat was busy with the girl. There was no point of brooding here at one corner.

“All right.”

 

~

 

If Chat were there he would have already scolded Marinette. She went out of the manor without a coat _and_ a scarf. It was so, so cold. Marinette rubbed her hands on her arms. Her teeth were nearly chattering.

Marinette froze in place when a coat slid around her shoulders.

_Chat?_

“Still cold?” asked Théo.

Marinette avoided his gaze. It was still Théo.

“Thank you.”

They stopped beneath a tree to shelter themselves from the snow. Now Marinette hoped that she stayed inside the manor instead. Why did she even agree to going out with this man? She _barely_ knows him. Alya would kill her if she finds out about this. She should have danced with a random person instead.

“Is something wrong?”

Marinette shook her head.

“You seem to be in a bad mood earlier. May you tell me why?”

Marinette shuddered. “It is nothing, really. I was just being silly.”

“Is it because of a man, perhaps?”

Marinette swallowed a gasp.

_How could he have known?_

“N-No. It is not.”

“Would you like to change the subject?”

Marinette bit her lip and nodded.

Théo leaned his side against the tree’s trunk. “Tell me about yourself, then.”

There was something about the way he looked at her. It made her really uncomfortable. But it would be rude of her to dismiss him.

“I am here on a vacation with my friend,” she breathed out.

“Is she participating in the ball as well?”

“Yes. In fact, I think I should head back.” Said Marinette, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “She must be looking for m-”

Théo wrapped his hand around her wrist rather tightly. “I am afraid I cannot let that happen, love.”

Marinette’s heart started hammering against her chest. What was happening?

He jerked her towards him, pulling her flush against his chest.

“I have been watching you from the moment you entered the manor,” he whispered on her ear. Théo wrapped his arm around her back, squeezing her waist.

“Let me go this instant!” Marinette demanded, writhing in his arms.

This could not be happening.

Oh, how she wished she could turn back time and decline his offer from earlier. She should have just stayed behind. She should have not been too trustworthy. Now look what it had done to her.

Marinette tried fighting him again but it was no use. It seemed as though the air chilled her bones, preventing her from moving. One of Théo’s hands trailed up on her back, finding the zipper. She tried to shove him away but he only held on tighter. It was no used. She was vulnerable.

Chat.

_Chat._

_I need you._

In a blink of an eye, Marinette was wrenched away from Théo with a hard tug. And the next thing she knew there was a fist colliding with Théo’s face.

Marinette trembled as she saw Chat’s fuming stance.

“What in the world is wrong with you?” Chat snapped, placing Marinette behind him. “Have you forgotten who you work for?”

Théo gingerly stood up, wiping the blood on his lips. “Ah, hello there my fellow gentleman.”

Chat snarled at him. “Do not compare me with a sick of a man like you. Touching a lady without her consent is beyond imprudent. Leave this instant or I shall proceed on breaking both of your arms and legs before you even have the opportunity to scream.”

Théo blanched. He sprinted away from them as fast as he could and disappeared amongst the bushes.

Chat turned to her, cupping her cheeks in his hands. “Marinette, are you all right? What did that man do to you? Did he hurt you?”

Marinette mildly shook her head. “I-I am fine.”

His eyes landed on the coat around her. “Is this his?”

“Y-Yes.”

Chat ripped it away from her, threw it to the side, took off his and placed it on her shoulders. “Much better. I swear to God, Marinette, if you end up in a situation like this I-”

“How did you know?” she cut him off.

Chat blinked at her. “How did I know what?”

“That I was in trouble?”

Chat looked away from her and fixated his gaze on her hair instead. He twisted a lock around his finger. “I saw you leave with him.”

Marinette inaudibly gasped. “You saw me?”

“Of course I did.” He said as if it was obvious. “I was looking for you.”

Heat stained her cheeks. “You were?”

He nodded. “I saw Alya stomping around the room. Then I saw you. And then you left with that man whom you have not even talked to for five minutes and agreed to go out with him without a coat or a scarf. Foolish as ever,” he teased.

Marinette giggled.

Chat frowned at her. “You are one complicated girl, Marinette.”

“You are quite complicated yourself.”

Marinette fiddled her fingers. Should she ask?

“Do you…Do you know that man? Théo?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Yes. He is a…colleague of mine.” He said. “But now I could say that he _was_ my colleague.”

Marinette studied his features. He looked tense. “Why?”

Chat stared at her with a knowing look- that meant he was about to scold her. “No more questions.”

Marinette pouted, looking away.

“Are you coming with Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant tomorrow?”

“Why would I?”

“They are going to have a trip on the countryside of England for a couple of days. I guessed that you and Niño would be coming with them since you are on a vacation.”

“You are on a vacation. Should you not come as well?”

Marinette didn’t really have any interest in going there. She’d rather stay in her room.

The corners of his mouth turned up. “This is the first time I have laid my eyes on you with your hair down.”

Marinette grasped the ends of her hair. She had forgotten about that. “D-Does it not look good? I could tie it up,” she fished for a ponytail on the hidden pocket on her dress but Chat stopped her.

“No.” He said. “Leave it be.” He took his hands away from her hair. “You look beautiful.”

Marinette’s face fired up. “You-You are teasing me again.”

Adrien shook his head, slowly. “I am not.”

He said that she looked beautiful.

_Beautiful._

And he wasn’t teasing her.

Marinette beamed up at him. “May you say it again?”

“Say what?”

“That I am beautiful.”

Chat’s eye twitched. “What? No. Absolutely not,” he started walking back to the manor.

Marinette ran to his side. “But I did not completely grasp the thought. And I presumed that you were teasing me.”

“That is your fault. Not mine.”

“Come on! Just one more.” She nagged. “And you are usually mean to me so I did not expect that you would say that. And you are jerk and a per-”

“Fine!” said Chat exasperatedly.

Marinette leaned closely to him, looking straight into his eyes with a wide smile on her face.

His expression softened. “You look very beautiful tonight, Marinette.”

Marinette felt like she was going to faint. What had this man done to her? She wanted to squeal but he would only tease her about it. But she was glad that it was him walking beside her and no one else.

“You look like a cat seeing its owner. Stop that,” said Chat, taking his neck cloth off and slipped it inside his pocket.

“But you are the cat,” said Marinette.

Adrien winced. “Stop talking.”

“Kitty cat,” she teased.

Adrien gritted his teeth. “Idiot.”

Marinette gasped as another endearment came into her mind. “ _Mon chaton_!”

Adrien gave her a dirty look. “ _Tais-toi.”_

Marinette took the opportunity to get back at him. “ _Merci beaucoup, mon chaton_!”

And the night passed by with the two of them bantering until they’ve ran out of words to say. Marinette knew then that she would rather have this than nothing at all. And that she was getting herself into something she might never want to get out of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which we r reaching the beginning of a storm ;)


	7. Threats and Debts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which guns are hauled and shots are fired, doubts are raised and discoveries are found.

“So you are telling me that this scoundrel unleashed his inner beast at the ball?” Nino pushed a pin on Théo’s photograph on the bulletin board in front of them.

“Yes. I saw him accosting Lady Marinette outside the manor a few days ago,” said Adrien. The mere though of that man having his hands around Marinette sickened him. If Marinette wasn’t trembling then, he would done much, much worse.

“He must have felt that you were interested in her.”

Adrien stared at Nino. “What?”

Nino stuck a pin on Théo’s photograph once more. “Théo is a spy, Adrien. There is no doubt that he would sense those kind of things.”

Was he…interested in her? He liked teasing her, yes. But, interested? He wasn’t so sure.

“Nino, let me remind you that being _interested_ in a client’s associate is strictly forbidden in this mission. In any kind of mission.”

“Yeah, yeah. I remember,” said Nino. “But no one stated that we could not be interested in someone in secret,” he winked at Adrien.

Adrien grumbled, burying his face in his hands. “Do not tell me that you are actually considering that imaginary option.”

It was ridiculous.

Nino pulled on Théo’s photograph, making it split in half. “No way. We are spies. We might as well be stoned to death by Sinclair if that happens.” He said, crumpling the portrait. “Anyways, we could not be certain if Barbot is a double agent once we have gathered enough evidences. He might have just done that because, I do not know, he is in need of stripping himself bare in front of a woman.”

Adrien crushed his water bottle. “Stop that.”

He tried not to imagine it as much as he could. But if Nino continues to blabber on about that issue, Adrien might tape his mouth securely shout so that he could think clearly.

Nino lifted his glasses, scrunching one of his eyes with his hand. “Hell, why do I think Sinclair’s given us a mission that is nor as _serene_ as he told us it would be? Guarding a bunch of girls is not so easy, did he ever think about that? We do not even have any leads yet.” Nino flopped to his seat. “This is so frustrating.”

Nino was right. Adrien didn’t believe that the mission was facile or simplistic. He knew deep down that there was something more about the Lavillants. Sinclair might be keeping something from them. But the Head Agent was a clever man. He would not hide things from his colleagues without having a proper reason behind it. Perhaps Sinclair wanted them to find out about it on their own. But what could be his motive of it?

Adrien took his coat, abandoning his seat. “There is no use if we would continue on languishing about such things all while incubating ourselves in this no good of an office.”

Adrien despised their office in London. It was narrow and useless. His room back in Paris was noticeably bigger.

“Let us go out for a while.” He offered. “Spies do need some time off from all of this madness.”

“Count me in.” Nino rolled his shoulders. “I feel like my ears are going to burst from all the giggling and laughing and gossiping whenever I am with the Lavillant sisters.”

Adrien never got a time alone with them since the tour that they’ve give him of the manor.

“Agreste,” Nino called, eyeing the gun in Adrien’s hand. “What are you doing?”

Adrien slipped it inside the hidden pocket inside his coat. “It is a must for people like us to carry defensive materials wherever we go.” He twirled an army knife in his fingers and swiftly slid it in his other pocket. “You never know where danger awaits us.”

Nino blankly stared at him, deciding to carry a gun of his own. “You are a lunatic, Adrien.”

 

~

 

They hadn’t intended to but they found themselves walking towards the Lavillant mansion. It was near twelve already, he doubted that anyone would be awake in that household at this hour.

London’s weather never ceased to confuse him. It’ll be fair in the morning and you’ll be carrying an umbrella the next minute to shield yourself from the rain. Tonight, though, it was rather predictable. The snow was continuously melting and the cold temperature was much tolerable. Adrien never got to play in a snowball fight with anyone besides for his mother when he was younger. His father always refused to let him out and play in the snow. It surprisingly changed after the attack they’ve gone through. He figured that instead of locking up his son inside their home, he should allow people to teach him how to fight for his life instead of letting others do it for him. His father hated being dependent on others.

"Adrien, I think there is one loophole that we have stupendously left out in this mission," said Nino.

Adrien cocked his brow at him. "What is?"

Nino stopped beside a lamppost, facing him. "We only guard them during the _day_. What if those felons are planning to raid the Lavillants at night? This could cause a massive smear on our reputation."

And again, Nino was right. They had been in the care of the Lavillants for weeks now. It'd be foolish of them not to check on their safety at night. And Sinclair was not too careful in the first place. He did not give any specific instructions other than posing as his nephews and stay with the Lavillants as much as they could.

"Fine then," He said, adjusting his fedora. "Let us stop by the mansion."

"Just stop by? We are not going in? What if they are already inside?"

Adrien gave him a suspicious glance. "Do you know something?"

Nino shifted on his foot. His confident stance now melted into a conscious mess.

"Nino, do not be stupid. I know you are keeping something. Spill it out before I make you."

Nino scratched the back of his neck, giving in. “I might have noticed something,” he began, lowering his voice.

“Go on.” Adrien nodded for him to continue.

“I am quite suspicious about some of the staff in the mansion. See, there is a couple of workers that I have seen at the ball.”

Adrien opened his mouth to say something but Nino cut him off. “I know, I know. You are going to say that Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant might have invited them. But that is not the first time I have seen them outside the mansion.”

Perspiration shone on Adrien’s brow. “Where else have you seen them?”

“I have seen them a couple of times now. They were often in the main square whenever the girls go there. They were also in the Chelsea Physic Garden, hiding at the far corner where they thought I did not see them. You could have seen them as well if you had not been busy wandering off.”

He wasn’t simply wandering off. He saved a foolish young maiden who was on the brink of injuring herself all because of a ladybug.

“That could not be a mere coincidence, could it?” asked Nino. “They are evidently spying over the girls. Now I’m not sure if it is for a good cause or not. But I think that we should consider investigating this matter. If they are what I presume they are, then the Lavillants may be in great danger since they have let their foes inside their home themselves. Those ruffians have full access on maltreating them or worse- ending their lives.”

“How could you have told me about this just now?” he glared.

“It did not seem like a big deal then.” Nino defensed. “But I do agree that it is idiotic of me to have not said anything but if they had the opportunity to raid the mansion, why have they not done it yet? They have been in there for _weeks,_ maybe even longer _._ Think about that, Adrien.”

If Nino’s suspicion was right, then their mission will fail in a blink of an eye. They had to take action. Right now. They could not let anyone peril or be in danger.

He was not going to let any of that happen.

Over. His dead. Body.

A chill ran down Adrien’s spine as a thought came into his mind.

He knew.

He _knew._

“They were waiting for the perfect time,” he mumbled.

“What did you say? I did not catch that.”

“They were waiting for the perfect time.” He said more loudly. “Marinette told me about it at the ball. She asked if we are coming with Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant to the countryside today.”

Nino only gaped at him. “And? Are you saying that you want to come?”

Adrien smacked the side of his head. “No, you idiot! Can you not see? Those deceiving workers are waiting for the right time to attack.”

Nino rubbed his head that was currently searing in pain. “And?”

Adrien groaned. “Are you really this stupid? They waited for Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant to go on with their trip so that they could have their children all to themselves. _Meaning_ ,” he continued as he saw the still confused look on Nino’s face that’s making him lose his temper even more, “they are going to either gag them all up and take them to God knows where or we will be attending to Sinclair to explain why there is a fucking bloodbath in the mansion without us knowing about it!”

He was breathing hard by the end of it.

Nino continued to gape at him. He took a deep breath and stood taller. “One, wow, I forgot that you curse when you lose your temper. Two, then why in the bloody hell are we still standing here for!”

“We would have been at the mansion if it was not for your turtle-like brain!” Adrien fired back. “We need to-”

Something caught his eye from behind Nino’s shoulder. It wasn’t too clear but it seemed like they were in a hurry.

But he saw one thing for sure.

And it had been a long time since he had been as nervous as this.

He could not mistake that face.

Never in a million years.

“What? Why do you look like you have just seen a ghost?” Nino waved his hand in front of Adrien.

“Nino,” said Adrien, his voice lightly shaking.

“Why are you talking like that? Adrien, you are scaring me right now.”

“You should be scared.”

Nino recoiled from him. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Adrien looked at him dead in the eyes. “Théo is headed to the mansion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;) (O_O)


	8. Guess and Confess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which secrets start to unravel and enemies begin to emerge.

Adrien clamped his hand down on Nino's mouth as he shouted. "Lower your voice! Are you planning on blowing our cover already?"

Nino pried himself away from Adrien. "Oh, I beg your pardon. Because I do not get why you could remain as calm as a damn cucumber in a situation like this!" he whispered, furiously.

"Situations tend to turn far more drastic if we take action with a firing head." He snapped. "Now, do us both a favor by shutting your mouth and cooling your head for a bit."

Nino grabbed Adrien's arm, dragging the spy behind him. "I will cool it off on the way. We need to be one step ahead of them but at this time, I am certain that they are approximately fifty steps ahead of us."

Adrien snatched his arm away and walked on his own. It was a good thing that they weren't far away from the mansion. Why hasn't he noticed anything about the workers? Perhaps it was because he was too distracted. He had to do something about this. It could not go on forever. He needs to stop acting like a man on a vacation and more like a spy on an important mission.

And he was not going to waste a second of going with the flow anymore.

They reached the mansion and as expected, the tall gates were sealed shut. It had to be. Théo would not make a simple flaw as that. He, together with Adrien and Nino worked for the same agency; which confused Adrien why his fellow spy was doing this. And one of the things that troubled him the most was the fact that Théo's also one of the best spies in their agency.

"The lock is too hard to reach." Adrien unbuttoned the top of his shirt and threw his fedora at the other side of the gate. "There is no other quick option but to climb it."

Nino jogged on his feet, back and forth. "All right. Let us do this."

Adrien grasped one of the bars and hauled himself up, planting his feet on a metal swirl. The gates might be high but Adrien was thankful for the intricate swirls that adorned it. With that, they could easily get to the other side. Carefully stepping on another steel bar, Adrien grabbed on a higher swirl.

Step.

Grab.

Haul.

When he stood on half of the gate, Adrien jumped, swiftly landing on his feet. He remembered how it hurt the first time he jumped off a gate. But based on the number of times he'd done it, it barely fazed him anymore. Nino on the other hand, always complained.

"Ah! Motherf-hell!" Nino hopped on one foot, clutching the other with his hand. "Why are you so good at this?"

Adrien continued to walk towards the entrance of the mansion. He didn't take time to check if it was locked because he knew full well that it was. It was Théo Barbot, after all. The spy who made sure not to leave anything unchecked behind.

Taking a thin blade hidden on the seams of his hat, Adrien inserted it on the keyhole, pulled it down and turned it twice.

_Click._

"Always the expert in trespassing homes," said Nino.

"Like we have any other choice." Adrien slipped the blade back on the seam.

The mansion was quiet.

 _Too_ quiet.

Once they enter, it was no doubt that they would create a commotion. They could not risk waking up anyone inside the mansion. Sinclair did say that the client must not know about their identities.

"What are you waiting for? Let us go!" Nino grabbed the knob.

Adrien slapped his hand away. "Not yet."

"Why the hell not?"

They need not to make any sort of sounds that would trigger anyone's curiosity.

"Take your socks off," he said, leaning against the door on one foot and began taking off his shoe on the other.

Nino stared at him with his jaw slack. "What? What are you talking about?"

"We must make sure that no one wakes up, yes?" Adrien tugged his sock off.

Nino scrunched his eyes at him. "Yeah?"

He took both of his socks in his hands and lifted it up to Nino's eyes. "And so we are to use these," he stated.

Nino looked at him incredulously. "What for?"

"Gags." Adrien deadpanned.

He swore if Nino got slower than this he would deal with this mission by himself.

Nino began taking his own socks off. "Good thinking."

Théo would least likely be on the grand foyer guarding the doors. But Adrien knew that the spy would lecture his colleagues later on because of their lack of patrolling the floors with an eagle's eye. They did not even hear the click of the knob.

_How foolish._

If it were him, he would rather work on his own than to have ant-brained idiots with him on a field. And he had to admit, even though Nino was his best friend there were still times where he was extremely hard to work with.

“Done.” Said Nino. “What do we do now?”

Without saying a word, Adrien turned the knob and pushed the door open.

“What do you think you are doing?!” Nino demanded, lowering his voice. “You cannot just randomly set foot inside a house with stupid ninjas on the loose. Do you want to get ourselves killed?”

Adrien lifted his hand to wave him off. “Shut up and do as I say.”

“Jerk.” Nino hissed.

The grand foyer was empty. Empty to the point that they could do as they please. Théo’s colleagues might either be hiding or just plain stupid.

Adrien walked behind the pillars, his eyes skirting at every inch of the room. There was nothing behind the Grandfather clock at the far side or under the tables pushed back at the wallpapered wall that held fresh bouquets of flowers. The stairs screamed with silence as well. Adrien was certain that the others were not with Théo. Théo liked to work on the major details on his own. Adrien has been paired with him before. He could say that it was successful and that it was one of the few dangerous yet tranquil missions he’s had. That was why he knew that in any mission Théo would be assigned in, he would likely succeed.

And it bothered him that the spy is in the Lavillant mansion right at this moment.

“Adrien, are you certain that they went in here?” Nino whispered, trailing behind him.

Adrien nodded. “They were headed this way. And if they had access inside the mansion that could only mean at least one of them works here.”

“That could be the case but where the hell are they?”

And as if to answer Nino’s question, footsteps apart from their own echoed throughout the room.

Adrien grabbed Nino’s sleeve and dragged him behind the pillar to shield themselves.

“The chef outdid himself once again, did he not?” said one man.

“Indeed,” said another.

Curiosity burned on Adrien’s mind. _What were they doing?_ Making sure that they’ve passed the pillar, Adrien slowly moved to the side to have a glimpse of the scene behind them.

The sight made him want to shoot both of their hands off.

Three morons were chomping off baguettes that probably came from the kitchen. Adrien finally recognized them as a part of the butlers of the Lavillants. They must have been the ones who lead Théo in the mansion. What angered him, though is the fact that they risked failing a mission all because of a damn _baguette._ Slipping past them to get to Théo might be easer than he thought. They did not look skilled nor did they appear proficient. They were simply a group of noodle-brained simpletons.

“I am going in.” Adrien decided.

Nino jumped in fright. “What? Right now?”

Adrien undid his cufflinks. “If you are feeling much of a chicken, you may wait behind this pillar until I have landed a punch on those imbeciles.”

Nino’s nose flared. “I am _going,_ ” he removed his hat. “But you should go in first.”

Adrien’s eye twitched.

“You got the idea so you do it first.” Nino defended.

_Chicken._

Adrien brushed his hair back and ever slowly, stepped around the pillar exposing himself. The imbeciles had their backs facing him, still devouring their baguettes. Adrien remembered that he hadn’t eaten much in dinner. Perhaps he should reward himself with some bread after this was over.

A smirk crept on his face. Oh, how he’d missed catching thieves red-handed.

“Well, well, well, no one informed me that this mansion has now turned into a makeshift refugee habitation.” Adrien mocked, sauntering to the center of the room.

The imbeciles dropped their baguettes and swiveled around to his direction with shock written across their faces.

Adrien took five steps towards them. “I apologize for cutting your meal short but I am afraid I have to ask why you are here in the middle of the night.”

The man with a black scarf swallowed and clenched his jaw. “I knew you are a spy.”

Adrien titled his head at him. “Then why have you not told the Lavillants about it?” He gave him a sly smile. “You are not scared that I might end your life once you expose me, are you not?”

The other one huffed. “Do not be so proud of yourself, Agreste. We are just as good as you are.”

“Pretty sure you are not.” Nino appeared from behind the pillar, finally letting himself be seen.

“I would like to chat furthermore with idiots like you just so I would have a peek of what goes on in those tiny brains of yours.” Adrien jeered. “But knowing about your plans is far more important. So, I am going to ask you once more,” he fixated a menacing glare at them. “What are you doing here?”

The man with slick back hair folded his arms and rested his weight on one foot. “‘Tis none of your business. We do not work for you.”

The man beside him agreed. “Yeah. We work for Théo.”

And all of his colleagues cringed.

Adrien guessed that he was not supposed to say that.

“Wow, you are right. They are stupid.” said Nino.

Adrien unbuttoned his suit. “Enough of this nonsense.” He said, fumingly annoyed. He had no time to converse with those three. “Nino,” he nodded at him. “You know what to do.”

The three idiots blanched.

“Roger that., said Nino, taking his socks from his pocket.

Adrien took another step towards them. “If you do not mind I would like to ask you for a favor.” He grabbed Mister slick back’s tie, wrapping it around his fist. “Do not shout too much will you?” As the man was about to say something, Adrien took the chance to stuff a sock in his mouth, formed a fist, extended his bent index finger just a bit and hit the man on his left temple, immediately rendering temporary unconsciousness.

The man dangled on his arms. Adrien lifted his gaze at the two.

“Who is next?”

Nino wrapped his arm around one man’s neck, dragging him away from the others. The last one charged at Adrien, making him drop slick-back on the floor. The man swung a fist towards Adrien’s jaw. Adrien swiftly blocked it with his hand, capturing the man’s fist. He twisted it back, causing a loud grunt to slip past the man’s mouth. Adrien stuffed it with his sock and quickly hit a pressure point on the man’s temple.

“You done over there?” Nino breathed heavily, pushing the idiot with a scarf next to the other with his foot.

Adrien let the body fall on the floor. “Hide these bodies somewhere else. Somewhere a bit far away from the mansion and do it fast. I do not know how long they will be unconscious. I will go and find Théo.”

“All right. Go find that man. Stay safe,” said Nino, hauling a body over his shoulder.

“Likewise,” said Adrien before rushing to the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant’s room was on the third floor while the girls’ rooms were on the second. Adrien had no idea of Théo’s intentions of coming to the mansion. He might only collect sensitive information about the Lavillants and mean no harm. But his main motive could also be relinquishing each and everyone inside the mansion. It didn’t matter which of those two was his purpose.

Adrien had to find him and stop him as soon as possible.

But where should he start?

Théo could be anywhere. He might not even be inside any of the rooms. But Adrien was certain that he could be in Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant’s room, or he could be in their offices in the mansion.

Adrien had to get there fast.

He ran throughout the halls, moving past the storage rooms. _Why does it have to be too big?_ Adrien sprinted to the second set of stairs at the far end of the hall that lead to the master’s bedroom. But something made him stop. He had just passed by the girl’s rooms. Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant had given him and Nino a tour on their first day and because of that he knew which room each of the ladies were in.

He knew _each._

Adrien’s heart hammered against his chest.

Couldn’t it be?

Turning on his heels, Adrien walked back in front of a particular room, sweat sliding down the back of his neck. He reached inside his coat and wrapped his fingers around the cold handle of the gun.

This was Théo they were dealing with.

And Théo targets _everyone._

Taking a deep breath, Adrien slowly turned the knob, preventing to render any noise as much as possible.

Adrien shivered as soon as he got a full view of the room.

As expected, Théo was standing on the foot of Marinette’s bed, watching her sleep.

Adrien stepped forward.

One.

Two.

Three.

And pulled the hammer of the gun down to charge the bullet, aiming it directly behind Théo’s head.

_Click._

Théo briefly stilled.

“I need not to see your face to know who you are,” he said.

Adrien’s knuckles were turning white because of his grip around the gun. “What are you doing here?”

Théo’s back remained facing him. “First, are you going to pull the trigger or not?”

Adrien laughed once out of humor. “You know full well that if a spy aims a gun at your head they would either end your life in a flash or merely threaten you. And I know you are aware that I am doing the latter.”

A pause.

“You are one clever man, Agreste.” Théo faced him. “Always a half-step ahead of me.”

Adrien’s eyes shifted to the bed where Marinette lay. Her chest peacefully rose at every breath she took. Her pink lips slightly parted, long lashes fanned against her cheeks, and her dark blue hair swept across her pillow.

“We might as well let her have a pleasant sleep and deal with our matters outside,” he said, fixating his gaze at Théo.

“Agreed,” Théo sighed. “She does look lovely like that,” he said with a teasing tone.

Adrien gnashed his teeth. “Out.”

 

~

 

From the moment that the door clicked close, it was Théo’s turn to have his gun aimed at Adrien.

“Since I was the first to arrive here, I would have to ask what are _you_ doing here.”

He was there because Théo was there.

What an idiot.

Adrien briskly swerved around, catching Théo’s wrist with his hand and snatching the gun away from him with his other. Adrien racked the slide, emptying the bullets inside the chamber and threw it back at Théo.

Théo twirled it around his finger and slipped it back in his pocket. “Thanks.”

“What are you doing here Théo? Do not make me ask you again.” Adrien threatened.

Théo leaned back on the wall behind him, crossing his ankles. “What if I told you that I came here because I want to see the fair maiden behind that door.”

Adrien tried to mask his anger. He needed clues not _this._

He charged at him, grasping his collar. “You will not waste your time for a girl like her.” Adrien spat. “Who sent you here? And for what purpose?”

Théo pushed Adrien roughly on the shoulders, causing him to stumble back. But he regained his balance in a second.

“I can do whatever I want, Agreste. I can make this mansion crumble into pieces,” said Théo, adjusting his collar. “And I can do as I please with that maiden.”

Having enough of Théo’s nonsense, Adrien lunged at him, hitting him square on the jaw. Théo grunted, hauling himself back on his feet. He reeled back, aiming his fist at Adrien. Adrien dodged around him, landing another punch on Théo’s side. He knelt down on one knee, propping himself on his fingers and swung his leg towards Théo’s feet to trip him in order to slow him down. Théo jumped, avoiding the move and ran down the hall. Adrien stood back up darted to his opponent.

Nino should have already removed the three idiots from the ground floor. Théo could look for them later or not at all. Adrien hated the fact that he had no idea of why his former partner was doing this. Sinclair wouldn’t have ordered him to do this. There’s no other explanation except for Théo turning his back against them.

Reaching the stairs, Théo looked back and saw that Adrien was approaching him. Jumping onto the rail, Théo slid down the stairs. Adrien mimicked the movement, the back of his thighs burning up because of the friction.

When they reached the grounds, Théo grappled him, launching him to a pillar. Adrien grimaced in pain as his back hit the hard material. Struggling to get back up, Adrien veered to the side, ducking from Théo’s fist and swung his leg on Théo’s foot. Théo swallowed a yelp as his knee hit the floor. Adrien landed a punch on the right side of his face, gripped Théo’s collars, turned them around and pulled the army knife from his coat, pressing it just below his chin.

Adrien breathed heavily, his hair almost covering his eyes. “What are you doing here, Théo?”

Théo swiped the side of his lip with the back of his hand. He looked at the blood with an amused glint in his eyes. “I guess you could say that you caught me under Agreste.”

Adrien pressed the knife deeper. “I asked you a question,” he snarled.

Théo chuckled. “Oh, how I pity you, Agreste. Having no clue of what is going on.”

Adrien ground his jaw. He was talking nonsense again.

“Well, to start it off, yes, I am a double agent,” Théo began. “I need not to show myself to Sinclair for a former resignation. You and Nino can do that yourselves. And to answer your question, I am here because of my job. I guess now you could say that it is my boss who is targeting this family. Who is my boss, you ask? Well, that is something you have to figure out yourself.” Théo turned his head to the side, spitting blood on the floor. “I do have one question for you, Agreste.”

Adrien scrutinized him. “What is it.”

“Would you rather capture me and hand me over to Sinclair to rot in jail that would lead to ending this mission in a jiffy or,” he paused. “Will you let me be in order for you to truly understand what you are getting yourself into and for you and your partner to decipher the root of this malicious problem.”

What was he talking about?

Of course Adrien knew that there was something more in this mission. It was not just simply posing as Sinclair’s nephews. But why did it seem like Théo knows something they don’t? Why did it seem like this time, Théo was a hundred steps ahead of them? Adrien’s instinct told him to let the man go. But his pride told him to hand Théo to Sinclair to end this once and for all. But that would only capture one spy from whoever it was that Théo works for. It would be no use.

Swallowing his pride, Adrien distanced the knife from the spy. He stood up keeping his eyes locked with Théo’s.

“Do not make me kill you, Théo,” he warned.

Théo gingerly stood up. “I despise you for being too smart, Agreste.” He said. “Sinclair always praised us for being the perfect tandem. Little did he know that I was only doing my best because I wanted to be better than you.”

Adrien knew that Théo was envious of him. But he had never heard of this before.

“And alas, I have made my decision to spread my wings and break free from being under your shadows.” He continued, wiping the speck of blood on the floor with his shoe. He righted his collar once more and walked to the door.

Even though it seemed like he was defeated, Théo still managed to have his head held up high as if nothing had just happened.

Arriving at the door, Théo glanced back at him. “You made the right choice, Agreste,” he said before closing the door shut.

Adrien fell on the floor. What was happening? He had never been this clueless or disturbed. Théo knew something. He knew more than him, Nino and Sinclair combined. And Adrien knew that the knowledge Théo held was dangerous. They had to move faster. They had to find a lead as soon as possible. The Lavillants might be in great danger than they thought.

He had to talk to Sinclair.

“Adrien!” Nino shouted, racing towards him.

Adrien didn’t have enough energy for scolding Nino because of shouting.

“Why did you let him go? Are you crazy? You got him right under your nose! Théo literally said hi to me.” Nino panted.

Adrien stood back up, threaded a hand through his too disheveled hair. “I am tired. Let us go back to the office.”

Nino gawked at him. “What has gotten into you?”

Adrien rolled his shoulders back, wincing as his back ached. “Let us just go before someone sees us.”

Nino’s eyes rolled heavenwards. “Fine. Anyways, Barbot asked me to give you this.”

His brow furrowed. It was his army knife. He didn’t even notice that Théo took it. There was a folded paper included, too.

“He gave you a knife and you did not stab him?” asked Adrien.

“What am I supposed to do? I was in shock! You could have done it yourself.” Nino defended.

Adrien unfolded the paper and read the writing inside.

 

_This is only the beginning._

_-P_

His breath shook.

“Nino, we have a lead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I therefore conclude that this is the hardest chapter I've written so far. (@_@) 
> 
> Ps. Sorry it took so longg ToT.  
> Pps. (Heads up) This is the beginning of which the plot thickens up a thousand notches. ~_^  
> Ppps. There are hidden foreshadows in this chapter and on the upcoming ones soooo, you can try to search for them. I'd like to reveal it but then piecing it together would lead to a MAJOR spoiler. ;) *I hope u liked this chapter! :)*


	9. Letters and Shivers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which clues resurface that correspond to afflictions while Marinette contemplates if a certain occurrence was really just a wonderful dream.

> Sinclair dropped the thick files on his table and ran an agonizing hand down his face. “You are telling me that Théo Barbot is a double agent.”

Adrien and Nino sat in front of him with blank expressions. They’ve told the Head Agent about the news for at least six times now, and yet he still could not believe that Théo turned his back against them. Théo’s one of the few spies that Sinclair trusted the most. That was why he was beyond appalled when he heard of it.

“Can we stop talking about that traitor?” asked Nino, annoyed. “Instead of moping about Barbot let us talk about the letter.” Nino tapped the letter that was secured inside a ziplock. “And what the hell does _P_ stand for? Person? President? Paper?”

Sinclair slumped on his chair. “You are right. I will drop it over the forensics before I leave the office. I will notify you as soon as there is an update. I doubt that there will be any fingerprints since this is Théo we are dealing with. I am really not pleased with this sudden move of his.”

Adrien crossed his legs, propping his chin with his steepled fingers. “I thought you appointed him to a mission in Russia? What ever happened to that?”

“He ended it as fast as he could.” Sinclair breathed out. “Although he did mention that he will be AWOL for a couple of months. I never knew that being a double agent was what he meant of doing.”

Adrien was eager to find out more about Théo’s new mission. He was curious of Théo’s boss even more so. What did the Lavillants do to him that made him threaten their family? It could not be just a simple misunderstanding. Adrien believed that it was more than that. It was almost as risky as the situation he was in years ago.

“Sinclair,” Adrien began. “Might you tell us the root of this problem? What made Théo’s boss threaten the Lavillants?”

“I am just as clueless as you are.” He said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “But Jermaine mentioned that it is something about finances. I assume that you both know how dangerous the business world could be once it involves money.”

Adrien tilted his head at him, the wheels on his brain rapidly turning. “I do not believe that, that is the only reason. It could be a lot sinister than that. Do you not have any other information that you can share with us?”

Sinclair rubbed his temple with the heel of his hand. “I am afraid not. I have told you everything I know and if something comes up, I would likely inform you about it immediately. The Lavillants’ foes are very discreet.”

The information that they had might not be enough but it was better than knowing nothing at all. At least they were slowly moving forward. First was Théo then it was the letter. Adrien knew no one who had a handwriting like that. It was slightly bent to the right in an elegant print. He wasn’t so sure if it was written with a man’s or a lady’s hand. It was written so deftly.

But they could not only rely on the forensics. They had to figure something out on their own if they want to be a step ahead their enemies.

First, Adrien needed to clear his head. A lot of things have happened last night and his back still ached. Damn Théo for launching him off towards that pillar. He couldn’t blame him, though. Adrien did land far more punches on Théo. And he did make Barbot’s lip bleed.

Adrien pushed his chair back, standing up. “I am going to the main square to think this through. May I be excused?”

Sinclair weakly nodded. “All right.”

All that has happened evidently affected the Head Agent. Not only his friend was still in danger but he also lost one of his prime spies.

Adrien excused himself and headed out of the building. His mind was in knots. He wasn’t entirely certain of Théo’s reason about his sudden change of heart. It could not only be because of his jealousy of his ex-partner. Adrien didn’t even know that Théo was jealous of him back then. He did his best because he wanted the people involved in the mission to be safe and sound. Théo on the other hand, had other intentions. If only Barbot was still working for Sinclair and had joined them in their mission, Adrien had to admit that it would certainly be easier. Having Nino and Théo work with him was more than enough for finishing an assignment.

Adrien nodded at the maidens who smiled at him as he strolled down the pavements. He noticed that quite a bunch of ladies adored him- for his looks, that is; they barely even know him. He was fully aware that he was on the good-looking side. People had praised him about it as he grew up in Paris. There was even a time when he modelled for a few brands when he was younger. Now, though, he did not feel like having his face plastered on a paper for everyone to stare at. To him, it felt as if they were judging him without him knowing about it.

The shops were filled with Britons in luxurious clothing. Various scents of perfumes wafted up in the air mixed with dew and vanilla scented candles. It was quite dizzying but Adrien didn’t mind. He’d rather be in a crowded place than inside his office where he’d clearly lose his mind because of thinking about their mission.

A sea of people surrounded him as the giant clock at the center of the square rang to another hour. They were rushing to the next road, making it hard for him to move. This was one of the things he hated about London’s main square. Everytime the clock rang, people would immediately appear out of nowhere to enter a newly opened shop. But he was thankful that most of the people weren't too foul. If they were, he would not have lasted another minute despite being able to hold his breath for five minutes.

Adrien felt something brush against the pocket of his coat. He stretched his hand to capture who it was but it had already slipped away. Even if he looked back he wouldn’t see anything except for a sea of moving heads. And he might be accused of stealing. A few more seconds passed before he had finally made it out of the suffocating maze of people. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead even though London had a cool weather.

Feeling his knees weaken, Adrien sat down on a bench, hanging his head back, deeply breathing in and out. He reminded himself not to visit the square at a rush hour. Doing so could either make your head ache or lose one of your shoes. Speaking of which, his newly brushed shoes that was once shiny black was now dusty gray because of the people that had stepped on him.

He reached for his handkerchief in his pocket to wipe off the dirt in his shoes.

But he held something else.

Pulling out the rough material, Adrien scooted to the end of the bench as a couple sat down as well.

He was sure that he had placed his handkerchief in there but now it was a piece of paper.

_How could this have gotten here?_

Adrien didn’t like having trash in his pocket so he knew that it wasn’t him that has placed the paper in there. Perhaps it was Nino or one of the other spies in their office? But they were careful of touching any of Adrien’s possessions. They were aware of his hatred of people messing with his belongings.

Unfolding the paper, his brow knitted.

It was another letter.

 

_The thorn of a Rose is indeed perilous;_

_only if a maiden remains vulnerable to danger._

_-P_

_What?_

Adrien read the passage a couple more times, pondering of the meaning behind it. The person who had touched his pocket could be the owner of the paper. It might Théo; or _P_ himself. Barbot’s group may already know about Adrien and Nino since they are now targeting them as well. But what was with the cryptic messages? What do they mean and what was their purpose except for making Adrien rack his brain upside down?

Someone was in danger but who could it be?

Adrien read it again, pouring over the words.

_The thorn of a Rose…_

_a Rose…_

_Rose…_

It was capitalized.

 _P_ wasn’t talking about a random stem of rose. _P_ was referring to Rose Lavillant.

And she was in danger.

Wasting no time, Adrien was up to his feet, dashing to the mansion. There were a few coaches waiting at the side but getting there with his feet would be faster. The mansion wasn’t even that far away. He had to get to Rose. He couldn’t warn Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant even if he wanted to. They were still at the countryside. And they swore to Sinclair that they would not let anyone know about their identities.

If his premonition was right, the letters might correspond to a future happening. _P_ must have sent it to him to give him the chance to stop whatever it was that was going to happen to Rose. And that could also lead to a clue that would lead him closer to finding out the person behind _P._

He hoped that Rose was staying at the mansion. If she was out and about with the other girls it would be harder for him to reach her. He didn’t know when it would happen but it would be better if he could find her as soon as possible. He couldn’t risk having Rose get hurt or badly injured.

Adrien rushed past the guards beside the gates and welcomed himself in. A couple of maids and butlers scattered on the ground floor each doing their duties. He approached a maid and asked for Rose’s whereabouts.

“Excuse me,” he panted. “May I ask for Lady Rose’s location?”

The maid stared at him with a confused look on her face. “I have not seen her since this morning, good sir. You can check her room if she is there with Lady Juleka.”

Adrien muttered a quick thank you before bolting out of her way.

He was aware that he appeared like a madman searching for his long-lost cat but he didn’t care less. He had to save Rose if ever she was in any type of danger. What troubled him was that the letter might address something that has already happened. It could not be a warning but an announcement.

Adrien shook his head, burying the thought at the back of his head.

_Please let her be in her room._

_Please let her be in her room._

He pushed the door open and was welcomed with a neatly made bed and the smell of caramel.

She’s gone.

He checked Juleka’s room as well and she, too, was nowhere to be seen.

_Where could they be?_

They weren’t in the main square, weren’t they? Rose would be prone to danger if she was there. He could easily protect her inside the mansion but now that he had no idea of where she was, Adrien felt a bit hopeless.

Running back down the stairs, Adrien decided to ask one of the guards. They might have seen her walk out of the mansion with Juleka or on her own. Clutching the paper in his hand, Adrien looked around for a butler or a maid but they had just entered their chambers.

“Chat?”

Adrien turned around, seeing Marinette that was still in her nightgown.

“Chat, is everything all right?” she asked with a concerned tone.

Adrien galloped towards Marinette, grabbing her shoulders as he reached her. “Where is Rose?”

Marinette’s eyes had grown wide. “What is going on?”

Adrien sighed, calming himself. “Marinette, please tell me where Rose is.”

Marinette swallowed, her lip briefly quivered. “She and Juleka had just gone out. I heard that they are going to a friend’s mansion.”

He was not too late.

“Where is it?”

“Brighton.” she replied, quickly.

It would be luck if Rose had not gotten too far yet. A trip to Brighton stretches for an hour. He could not waste that much time.

“Thank you.”

Adrien turned to look for Rose but Marinette grabbed his wrist.

“What is happening? Why do you look so worried?”

Adrien screwed his eyes shut.

_Distractions._

He had to get rid of them.

“It is none of your business.” He said, coldly. “Stay here and wait for them to arrive.”

Marinette held tighter. “No. Something is going on. I am coming with you.”

Adrien stopped himself from groaning out loud.

What would he do to this girl?

“You are not.” He snapped. “Do as I say, do not be stubborn.”

Marinette scowled at him. “I do not take orders from you. If Rose is in danger, I want to help as much as I can.”

“I did not say that she is in danger.”

“But your expression and they way you talked earlier convinces me that she is.” She stated. “Let me come with you.”

His jaw clenched. “You have not even changed yet. It seems as though you have just woken up. You would be no use.”

Marinette gave him a dirty look. “I woke up early today, just so you know. And this nightgown is comfortable that is why I chose to wear it a bit longer.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “I have no time to listen to you.” He went to the door. “I have to go.” he called.

“Chat!” Marinette shouted before he closed the door.

He would deal with her later- or not –but right now, his main priority was Rose. One of the guards told him that Rose and Juleka’s coach had just left. If he had not engaged himself with that silly argument with Marinette then he would have reached the coach by now.

Adrien turned on a corner, following the sound of the coach. It only went on for a minute before it stopped. Now he had no idea where it went.

What could have happened?

Adrien shielded his eyes from the sun and saw a coach not too far away ahead of him. But the thing was, it was not moving.

And standing beside it was Rose and Juleka together with the coachman. It appears that one of the wheels had fallen off. Could it be on purpose? Adrien wasn’t certain if it was included in _P_ ’s plan, but any time now, one of _P_ ’s agents might attack.

Rose walked to the shack that was at the other side of the road to keep herself from the sun. Based on what he was seeing right now, Adrien was starting to think that he might have been worried for nothing. What if the letter was a fraud? What if it was just something to confuse them or catch them off guard? What if-

“Chat!”

Adrien stilled at the voice.

_No._

Glancing behind him, he saw Marinette running towards his direction, but she was still too far away. She was mouthing something but he didn’t understand what it was.

_“Rose!”_

His blood ran cold. Swerving back to Rose, he saw a black caped man stalking behind her with a knife in his hand. The coachman and Juleka were too busy fixing the coach that they forgot to pay attention to Rose.

Adrien moved his feet and ran as fast as he could.

The man was getting closer.

And Rose had no idea that she was about to die.

“Rose! Behind you!” Adrien shouted.

The caped man saw him and approached faster. Rose turned to see who it was and it seemed as if the fear chilled her to the bone. Before the man could reach her that was only an arm’s length away, Adrien took her in his arms and swerved her off the shack.

“Rose, are you all right?” he lifted her face up.

Rose had gone pale and her entire body was shaking.

“Rose!” Juleka rushed to her sister. “Monsieur Chat, what happened?”

Adrien handed Rose over to Juleka. “Someone was going to harm your sister. It would be good for her to be back on the mansion and have some rest to calm her nerves down. What had just happened can be quite traumatic for her.”

Juleka wiped the sweat from her sister’s forehead. “We should have been more careful. That shack once housed thieves. I did not know that people still resided there.”

_No one resided there._

It was all _P_ ’s work.

“Thank you, Monsieur Chat.” Juleka bowed. “If it was not for you Rose…” Juleka choked on her sob.

Adrien patted her shoulder. “I am glad to be of help. The coach has been fixed. Go back to the mansion.”

Juleka nodded, tears brimming on her eyes. “Thank you.”

She held Rose in her arms as they went to the coach. Adrien couldn’t make himself look into Rose’s eyes. He could see the fear and shock that she’s felt. She didn’t deserve this. Adrien knew deep in him that none of the Lavillants does.

The coachman helped Rose up to her seat and rode away as soon as they could.

Adrien stepped back on the shack but the caped man was long gone. He didn’t get a glimpse of his face and the man was too unrecognizable. He doubted that it was Théo. If it were him, he would have killed Rose before Adrien could even take a single step towards her. It could be one of _P’s_ goons.

Marinette finally caught up to him, planting her hands on her bent knees, breathing heavily.

Adrien glared at her. “I thought I told you to stay in the mansion.”

Marinette huffed. “You could at least thank me.”

“What for?”

Marinette took a few more deep breaths before replying to him. “I helped. If I had not shouted at you, you would not have noticed the man behind Rose.”

His brows snapped together. “I did not ask for your help.”

_Distractions._

“I did not ask for your permission.” Marinette fired back.

He glowered at her and started walking.

Ignoring her would be much better.

“Hey! Where are you going?” she followed him.

“Back.”

“Back where?”

“To my office.”

“You have an office? You work here?” Marinette questioned.

Adrien kept his mouth shut.

Why did he end up being alone with her again, anyways?

He had to get back to their headquarter. She wouldn’t follow him all the way there, would she? That would make their mission go up in flames. And Nino would likely tease him until he runs out of breath.

“Chat,”

Adrien continued to ignore her.

_Stubborn, stubborn girl._

Marinette spoke again. “Can I ask you something?”

“You are already asking.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw her pout.

It was quite…charming.

_No._

Distractions. He had to get rid of distractions.

“Then, can I ask you another question?”

Adrien let out a quick sigh. “That is another question.”

Marinette pressed her lips on a thin line. “Jerk.” she muttered.

“Thank you.”

They continued to walk in silence. It was better that way. Adrien thought. Marinette crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her hands on her arms.

Once again, she walked out of the mansion without a coat and a scarf or even a single glove. She didn’t even change her clothes. And for all he knew, nightgowns could be very thin…

Adrien’s thoughts trailed off.

She was-

She was wearing _something_ underneath, right?

Or was she?

Adrien gnashed his teeth, keeping his thoughts pure as he slid off his coat and threw it at her face.

“Do me a favor and wear that,” he commanded, keeping his eyes locked on the road in front of them.

_Get yourself together, Adrien._

“Th-Thank you," said Marinette, scrambling for the coat.

Adrien only managed a single nod.

He swore to everything in his might, if this girl walked out without anything covering her chest underneath her nightgown again-

“I-I really want to ask you something,” she said, cutting his thoughts short.

Perhaps he should let her ask.

“Go on.”

Marinette quietly cleared her throat. “Were you-um-” she paused, retracing her words. “Is there any chance that you-uh-that you,” she struggled to form a sentence. “Chat, were you-in-” she paused again.

And Adrien was losing his patience.

“Speak clearly. You are talking like a child.”

Marinette breathed out.

“Were you in my room last night?” she asked rather too quickly.

Adrien froze.

_Crap._

She was sleeping. How could she have seen him?

This was bad.

“I just…I think I saw you.” She hid her face behind her hair. “Y-You were looking at me before you went out. And I…I just want to know if it really happened because I-”

“No,” said Adrien.

Marinette glanced up at him.

“I was not in your room.”

Marinette’s lips parted. “O-Oh. Right…I-I just thought that,” she bit her lip. “I thought that you might have visited me.”

Adrien wasn’t certain but it seemed like there was a flicker of hurt in Marinette’s eyes.

Why would she be hurt?

Perhaps it was just his imagination.

“I will never visit anyone in the middle of the night,” he said.

She nibbled on her bottom lip and nodded.

“Never a girl like me,” she mumbled.

“What did you say?”

She always liked to talk with such a low voice. Adrien didn’t understand what she said.

Shaking her head, she looked up at him with a beaming smile on her face. “Nothing, I just said that we should head back and check on Rose.”

A minute ago she looked sad and now she was beaming.

_How confusing._

Adrien let it go. “Right then.”

He should be more careful next time. The last thing he wanted to happen was for someone to doubt him.

Especially Marinette. The girl who liked to stick her nose in everything.

And he really had to work harder on staying away from her.

 _Really_ hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope u gaiz liked this chapter! :)) Commentz r very very much appreciated. u w u


	10. Thoughts and Distraught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Miss Marinette was overcome with dubious thoughts and refuses to deal with her whirlwind of emotions towards a certain gentleman.

Marinette stared down at the figure from her window, inspecting his every move. Ever since her last encounter with Chat, she had become more dubious of him. She knew that he must be hiding something from her- or them; not only him but Niño as well. Everytime they are with those two, Marinette noticed that they always kept their eyes on everything. Watching every person’s move that surrounded them.

What bewildered her furthermore was the fact that Chat knew Rose was in danger. Something felt very suspicious about them. And Marinette also noticed that Chat seemed to have become meaner towards her and she felt as though he was somewhat ignoring her all of a sudden. Before, he’d tease her whenever he had the chance to. But now, he barely talks to her. He even converses with Alya and the Lavillant sisters even more so than he does with her.

Perhaps it had something to do with her asking if he visited her in her room.

Marinette inwardly cringed. She should not have asked in the first place. Chat must be embarrassed to be accused of visiting an awkward and clumsy girl like her. A godly handsome gentleman like him should never be seen with a lady as simple as her.

“He is going to catch you staring, you know.”

Marinette jumped away from the window. “What? I-I was not _staring_ at him. I was just…” she trailed off. “Looking.”

Alya rolled her eyes. “You are burning holes at the back of his head, Mari. I get it. You like Monsieur Chat.”

“WHAT?” Marinette shouted, making Alya cover her ears.

Alya winced. “Lower your voice, will you?”

Marinette’s heart thumped on her chest. “Why would I like a man like him? He is mean and a-a jerk! He makes fun of me all the time and now he is ignoring me as if I have done something wrong to him.” Marinette ranted.

Alya continued to stick bobby pins in her hair. “You do know that you sound like you want him to stop ignoring you, right?”

Marinette turned scarlet. “That is not what I meant!” she folded her arms slouched at the end of the bed.

She was better off not talking to him. But she liked talking to him, too. Even if half of the time they’re conversing he’s either teasing her or they’re having a silly argument. It almost seemed like they’ve known each other for so long.

Alya turned on her seat, brushing back a curl. “Marinette, we have grown up alongside each other. I know you more than you think. I know those ridiculous faces that you make when you are flustered about something or someone. And I know the tone of your voice when you are upset. See? We are practically sisters.”

Alya was right. She knew her too well that Marinette couldn’t hide anything from her. She loved and hated it all the same.

“And you have been drooling at him for at least two months now _._ ” Alya slipped her shoe on.

Marinette gasped. “I am not!”

She hadn’t noticed that a lot of time has passed since her first meeting with him on the main square. It wasn’t the ideal first meeting that she wanted. But it was better than nothing.

“Alya,” Marinette began, glancing back at the window. “Why do I feel like they are hiding something from us?”

Alya took off her glasses and carefully wiped its lenses. “Chat and Niño?”

“Yes.”

Alya bobbed her head and wore her glasses. “They disappear out of the blue and reappear out of the blue. Whenever they are with us it feels less than simply being with us and more like they are watching over us. So yes, I am skeptical of them.”

Marinette scooted close to Alya. “You noticed, too? Mr. Jermaine and Mrs. Rosella never mentioned anything about meeting them beforehand. It may be because they really have not seen them before. But they are the nephews of the Lavillants’ close friend. It may be wrong to doubt them but…I just could not help it.”

Alya hummed. “And your suspicion has nothing to do with Chat ignoring you?”

Marinette threw a pillow at her. “This is not about me and Chat!” she complained. She did got rid of him teasing her but now it was Alya that had taken his place.

Alya laughed, throwing the pillow back on the bed and ran her fingers through her curls. “Right, right. I believe you.”

Marinette knew that she didn’t.

Alya took her bag and looked at her reflection on the mirror once more. “I will be back before eight. Are you certain you do not want to come?”

Juleka asked them if they wanted to come with her to Buckingham to pick up Rose. Rose was doing incredibly well after the accident. She was a bit traumatized but she got over it in her own way. Now, she was slowly returning to her carefree and bubbly self. Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant were extremely worried when they heard of the news. But they were greatly thankful of Chat for saving their daughter.

“I am going to stay here.” Said Marinette.

She wasn’t in the mood of dressing up anyways. It took Alya almost an hour to ‘achieve’- as she’d like to say it –her look. It would have only taken Marinette fifteen minutes to get ready.

“All right then.” Alya grabbed her gloves and hat and made her way towards the door. “We shall bring you something back from our trip.” She opened the door but stopped midway. “Oh, and Mari. If you will decided to keep on staring at Chat, I might as well advise you not to get caught.”

She winked before closing the door.

And Marinette was left with wanting to go back to the window or bury herself deep in her sheets.

Her brain hurt from thinking about Chat and Niño’s real intentions. Or maybe she was just overreacting. She was making something out of nothing again. And her mother always told her that it wasn’t always good to doubt someone. And that thinking too much about simple things was a bad habit of hers.

Marinette pressed her hands to her cheeks, feeling its warmth.

_Stop thinking about him, Mari._

_He doesn’t care about you._

Marinette’s hands slid down her cheeks and clasped over her heart.

Did he not care about her?

He did save her countless of times but it might be because he had to not because he wanted to.

He might even be sick and tired of having to save her all the time.

Marinette laid back on her bed, grabbing a pillow and placed it over her face to muffle her whining.

She was overreacting again.

Unconsciously, Marinette found herself looking at the window.

What was he hiding?

Not thinking twice, she stood up from her bed and sauntered towards the window. Her fingers brushed against the curtain, inching back when she felt a tinge of contemplation. Chat was busy talking to Niño and Mr. Lavillant. She was certain that he wouldn’t see her. _And_ he was ignoring her.

Marinette grasped the curtain in her fingers and slowly pulled it back just enough to let her eyes wander down. They were still talking. But this time it wasn’t with Mr. Lavillant. Down there with them was the girl Chat danced with at the ball, she wore a yellow dress, and a gold spectacle was propped on the crown of her blonde hair. Niño was talking to what appeared as her friend. She had auburn hair and wore much simpler clothing.

A while ago, Chat and Niño had serious expressions on their faces when they were talking with Mr. Lavillant. But now they looked relaxed. They were even laughing with the girls.

Chat was laughing, too.

He threw his head back and roared in laughter.

Marinette could hear his laughter up in her place.

He looked so happy.

She wondered if she would ever get to see him smile at her like that.

Chat wiped the tears from his eyes, his body still shaking in amusement. What did the girl say that made him laugh like that? The only time that Marinette triggers his mirth was whenever her stupidity occurs.

Chat and the blonde maiden really suited each other.

He must like her.

Chat continued to talk to the girl, his smile still in place.

But then, it was as if he’s sensed that someone was watching him.

He turned his head towards her direction and their eyes locked.

Marinette squeaked, falling on her bottom.

She bit her lip in pain, wincing as she anchored herself up.

He caught her.

He _saw_ her.

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._

Marinette clutched the fabric above her chest, feeling the rapid beats of her heart. She should have been more careful. What would she tell him if he asks?

_Oh, I was just looking at the flowers behind you._

_I wasn’t looking at you; I was looking at the girl. I love her dress._

_I didn’t even see you there._

Marinette paced back and forth, biting her nail. What in the world would she do?

Maybe he didn’t see her.

Maybe it was just her imagination.

_Imagination._

Just like when she thought he came in her room in the middle of the night. If she looked down the window again, she’d see him still talking to the girl.

Yes. That should be right.

_Please let it be right._

Marinette slightly pushed the curtain aside with a shaking hand, her eyes closed. Then, she peeled it open expecting to see Chat.

And,

He wasn’t there.

 _“_ He is not there.” Marinette panicked. “He is not there!”

She furiously pulled the curtain together, blocking the view.

She sat back on the bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. “He must have already left." She said to herself. “He left because he had to go to work and he did not even see me because he was busy talking to the girl. And he was ignoring me so he surely would not ask me about this," she mused.

Her shoulders dropped. “Yes. That is right. I am worried over nothing,” she convinced herself, plastering a smile on her face and breathed heavily through her nose-

_Knock. Knock._

Marinette scrambled farther on her bed.

_No. No. NO!_

Before she knew it, she was biting ends of her pillow.

_Knock. Knock._

Maybe she could just ignore it until it goes away. It might be just one of the maids or the butlers. Or it might be Alya coming back from the coach because she left something. Or it might be Mrs. Rosella coming to check on her. Or-

“I know you are in there.”

Marinette felt she was going to faint. She was sweating and she had never been this scared of someone except for when her mother gets angry.

Marinette swallowed hard, peeling herself away from her bed. Now her knees were shaking too.

_Knock. Knock._

She doesn’t want to see him after what just happened. She didn’t know what to tell him. Marinette crossed her fingers, begging him to go away.

“I am coming in.”

Marinette screeched, darting to the door and pulled it open.

“Hi,” she greeted, breathlessly.

She didn’t even get to redo her ponytail.

Chat cocked a brow at her. “Are you feeling well?”

She nodded too fast.

Chat narrowed his eyes at her. “You look so red.”

Marinette burned up even more.

“Why-Why are you here?” her voice broke.

_Stupid._

Chat pinned her with his eyes. “My coat.”

“Your coat?” she squeaked.

“I want it back.”

_Oh._

The coat that he lend her back in the garden. It had been a long time ago. Marinette squirmed when she remembered something.

She laced her fingers behind her, fiddling with her thumbs. “I-uh-I…” _This is so embarrassing. “_ I have not washed it yet.”

His green eyes bored to her. “Is there a reason why?”

“No! There is not. I just,” Marinette racked her brain. “I use it often.”

She doesn’t. She just stares at it whenever she could.

Expecting a smirk or a tease, Marinette readied herself to fire back.

“I see.” Chat simply said.

Marinette looked at him, surprised.

He buried his hands in his pockets, turning to leave. “Give it back when you can.”

_That is…all?_

Marinette opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut when Chat disappeared from her view.

She closed the door rather weakly and slid down, hugging her knees to her chest.

Her chest…it hurts.

Marinette hated it. Maybe she was just sad. Or perhaps…

She couldn’t think of another excuse.

_Why am I feeling this way?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The waiting game will all be over soon, Mari. :** ToT  
> Thank u for reading this story!! ^w^ Commentz nd Kudos are always appreciated :) (>*-*>)


	11. Lies and Spies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which identities are mentioned and confusions are intensified.

Sinclair sank on his seat, misery etched on his face. “The papers are as blank as a clear canvas.” He put his head in his hands. “Damn Théo. He must have told his boss about the process of our forensics. Not even a single print was in sight.”

Adrien and Nino shared a concerned look.

“We are disappointed, too, Sinclair.” Said Nino. “But we must not stop now. P may be planning on targeting everyone that is associated with the Lavillants. Lady Alya and Lady Marinette might be in his sights, too. Lady Marinette most of all. Théo appears to be interested in her.”

Anger bubbled in the pit of Adrien’s stomach. He will not let Théo anywhere near Marinette or Alya or any of the Lavillants. He disliked losing- especially to Barbot.

Sinclair pushed up on his seat, sitting straight. He started rummaging through the files again. “Noted. I will have some of our people be hired in the premises of the Lavillants to increase security. Barbot’s team could have the pattern of working from the bottom to the top. They would start with anyone affiliated with the Lavillants first then work their way up. I suggest you keep your eye on the ladies as much as you can.”

Adrien quirked a brow, “Why them? Shouldn’t Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant come first?”

“Jermaine and Rosella will not be in danger anytime soon. As I said, they are starting from the bottom. They will relinquish the little ones first before dealing with the major targets.” Sinclair explained and faced Adrien with a soft expression. “I know that this might not be the right time to bring this up but this is quite like how your family was threatened years ago, Adrien. We should follow by that.”

Adrien looked away from him, forcing himself to think of something else. It was one of the darkest moments in his life. Being locked up in a room that seemed like forever was never his liking. Seeing his father suffer afflicted him in so many ways. Adrien didn’t want any of the Lavillants to go through what he had experienced.

“Mr. Jermaine does not know that you are a Head Agent of a secret agency, does he not?” asked Nino.

Sinclair shook his head. “No. What he knows is that I am a manager of a small company. He mentioned about what had happened to his daughter. Jermaine was deeply worried. But he did not think that it had something to do with the people or person tragetting his family. He said that it was because of the thieves that is residing in the assumed abandoned shack.”

Nino ran a finger across his lower lip. “We need to guard them even more so. Now that, that lunatic is sending out creepy letters, he can make something happen anytime, anywhere.”

“Indeed. We have to think of a new strategy.” Sinclair pondered. His eyes lit up, seeming to have thought of something. “Say, why do you not visit the mansion today and stay there until I pick you up?”

Adrien narrowed his eyes at him. “You are planning something. What is it?”

Sinclair waved him off. “I have not planned anything yet. Go on, now. You are dismissed.”

They both walked out of the office rather grudgingly. Sinclair was scheming again. He wouldn’t make them pose as butlers, wouldn’t he? The others would recognize them easily. But Nino was correct. They had to watch over their clients furthermore and they had to think of a new strategy. P could be lurking anywhere near the Lavillants. And he might attack when they are most vulnerable just like when Rose was.

Adrien was buttoning his coat when someone knocked on their office.

“M-Monsieur Lahiffe?” Nathaniel peeked his head on the door.

Nino turned to him. “Yes?”

“Someone left a note for you, sir.” Nathaniel went in and quickly handed him a piece of paper.

And it looked just like P’s.

“Nathaniel, wait.” Adrien stopped him. “Who gave this?”

Nathaniel gulped. “It was on the front desk, sir. The person behind the table did not see who it was. He or she might have fled quickly.”

If the note did come from P, that meant Théo had told his boss about the location of their headquarters in London.

“Understood.” Said Adrien. “If this happens again please alert us immediately.”

Nathaniel nodded. “Agreed, _Monsieur_.” he said and left the room.

It was the first time Adrien had talked to him. He didn’t understand what made Sinclair hire a man like Nathaniel. He appeared to be more of a timid type.

“What is this suppose to mean?” Nino flipped the note to check if something else was written behind it but he was met with nothing. He handed the note over to Adrien for him to read.

 

_The answers that you seek_

_is right above your head._

_-P_

“He is not planning on decapitating us, is he not? Théo would surely enjoy that. Especially yours,” said Nino.

It was not the writing that had caught Adrien’s attention but the paper itself. It felt so…familiar. It was smooth and rough at the same time. The faint speck of swirls against the cream paper nagged in his mind.

Where had he seen this before?

Adrien placed it inside a zip lock bag and put in his pocket.

“Eh? You are not going to give it to the forensics?” asked Nino.

Adrien had forgotten that he was still there. “I plan to hold on to it a little longer.”

“Okay? I have no idea of what you are thinking but okay.”

 

~

 

Adrien was glad that Rose was now feeling much better. She was stronger than he thought. Rose was smiling as if she had not been on the brink of dying. He liked that spirit.

Adrien watched as Rose poured him a cup of tea. “Where are Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant?”

Rose handed him the cup. “They left earlier. _Mamman_ said they would be back as soon as they can. It must be a business meeting.”

Adrien sipped on his tea. “How are you feeling?”

Rose beamed at him. “Good! I still have not properly thanked you for saving me so, thank you, Monsieur Chat.”

Before Adrien could reply, Rose had her arms wrapped around him. Adrien tensed, not knowing what to do. He’s not really an expert in hugging women. He has not even hugged many women in his whole existence.

Rose pulled away, her eyes watering. “Oh, I am becoming emotional again.” She giggled wiping her tears away. “It must be really delighting to have a brother like you. Juleka and I have always dreamed of having one.”

The corners of his mouth tugged. “And I am fairly certain that your brother would be thankful of having a jolly sister like you.”

Rose blushed, thanking him again. The name really suits her. Adrien thought.

Nino was busy talking with Alya- which was a surprise. They appeared like they are now getting along. They still scowl at each other at times of course, but Adrien noticed that it wasn’t as bad as before.

“Rose! There you are.” Juleka called from the other side of the room.

She was with Marinette, too. Adrien didn’t notice them standing there. They walked towards him and Rose. Juleka was in a bright mood while Marinette was more of the opposite. Her eyes were downcast and dejection spread across her features. She had been like that since he caught her looking- or spying –on him from her window. He meant to ask her about it when he came to her room but he knew that it would only end up to them bantering again.

And he did promise himself that he would get rid of distractions.

“Good evening, Monsieur Chat,” greeted Juleka. “Rose, I have to show you something. Come.”

“Oh, all right.” She excused herself from Adrien and followed her sister.

And again, he was left with Marinette. He’d like to go to Nino but he was still talking to Alya. And it would be rude of him to leave Marinette on her own. She was in a bad mood; he didn’t want to add up to that.

“Would you like some tea?” he offered.

Marinette shook her head, avoiding his gaze.

_Women are really confusing._

She was usually easy to read. One look in her eyes and Adrien would know what she was thinking. But now it was different, he absolutely had no idea of what’s running across her mind. Something was wrong. And Adrien had a feeling that he might be the reason why.

He turned to her, his arm crossed. “What is with that look on your face?”

She raised her gaze at him, faking a smile. “What do you mean?”

He stared at her. “I am not stupid. You are only forcing your smile. It is fine if you want to tell me that you are not pleased to see me, you know.”

Her smile melted into a frown. She was busy eyeing her shoes again.

He would leave right then and there if it weren’t for Sinclair’s instructions. It’s not that he wanted to be there in the first place. Adrien would rather stay in his bathtub until he falls asleep.

Marinette chewed on her lip, still fumbling with her fingers. He could feel that she was anxious and that she wanted to ask him something. But he didn’t have the energy to find out what it was. If she keeps on acting like that he might as well join Nino and Alya in their conversation instead of being suffocated with this dreadful silence.

The door opened, revealing Mr. Lavillant. He appeared like he was frantically looking for someone. When his eyes landed on Adrien, his mouth drew to a firm line.

What was going on?

“Chat, Niño, I would like to speak with you in private.” He affirmed.

Marinette and Alya glanced at each other before making their way to the garden. Nino stood beside Adrien with an equally confused state. They had just talked to Mr. Jermaine a few days ago. Adrien wondered what was with the sudden need of him conversing with them. They hadn’t done anything wrong, had they not?

“Mr. Lavillant,” Adrien greeted. “Is everything all right?”

Mr. Jermaine nodded at the butlers, signalling them to go back to their quarters.

Adrien was starting to get suspicious and somewhat nervous. Nino remained still, masking his nerves. He had never seen Mr. Jermaine look so vexed. Could it still be about Rose? They talked about that before and Mr. Jermaine decided that he would have the coachman keep an eye on the girls whenever they go out.

“Is there a problem?” Nino asked.

Mr. Jermaine’s expression hardened.

“ _Adrien_ Agreste and _Nino_ Lahiffe,”

Adrien’s eyes widened.

_How?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *breathes heavily* (._.)  
> I split this chapter in two bc it was kinda long to congest it in one. ;)  
> P.s. I'm so srry for the cliffhanger. (^o^)y  
> P.p.s. Shizz's about to get real soon.  
> P.p.p.s. I should really stop giving out clues. 
> 
> *Thank uuu for supporting this story!! :* Commentz nd Kudos are always appreciated :) (>*-*>)*


	12. Escorts and Unwanted Rapport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mr. Agreste feels a sudden amount of displeasure towards a colleague and unfortunate favors are made.

Adrien’s heart was on his throat.

How?

How did he know?

“You are spies, are you not?”

Adrien and Nino’s blood ran cold. What could have given them away? They made sure that they kept their identities well hidden. There could have been doubts about them but he was certain that being a spy was not included. Mr. Lavillant didn’t look too pleased but he didn’t look too angry, too. In fact, he appeared a bit tensed.

Mr. Lavillant let out a deep breath. “You need not to answer that. I already know the truth.” He said. “When I found out, I was quite disappointed. If anything, it should be me that has to be knowledgeable about the dangers that is surrounding my family. And to think that one of my daughters could have suffered because of this-”

He paused, briefly closing his eyes.

Adrien understood his pain. Him and his father were clueless back then, too. They didn’t know that they were being threatened until the windows started blasting apart because of the bullets that were being shot.

From the corner of his eye, Adrien saw Nino swallow. This was the first time that a client found out about their identities. Something else must have caused it.

“But I have no right to scold since you are only doing your jobs,” said Mr. Lavillant, surprising both of the spies.

He could have shouted at them and demanded them never to set foot in mansion ever again but instead, he was talking calmly than before and the worry on his face had only grown. The situation must have really shaken him up. Perhaps this was the reason why Sinclair did not want his friend to know what was truly happening.

“A maid has alerted me about something that has happened a while back.” He began. “She mentioned seeing the both of you enter the mansion and as well as four men, one of which went to the second floor. She said that you fought those men, is that correct?”

Adrien and Nino shared a look before nodding at Mr. Lavillant.

“And I presume that the bloodstain on the floor belonged to one of them.”

Adrien stopped himself from wincing.

That one was his fault.

Could that be the only reason why he knew about their identities?

Adrien stood taller. “Mr. Lavillant, if you do not mind I would like to ask if your idea of us being spies was based from what the maid had told you.”

He shook his head. “No. Sinclair had told me himself.”

Adrien heard Nino grunt.

Could it-

Could it be that Sinclair’s _plan_ from earlier was revealing their identities to the client?

“Sinclair told me everything.” He continued. “He told me that he made you pose as his nephews in order for you to blend in and for us not to know about what and who you really are. He also told me that he came up with the decision of telling me about it because our family needs more protection. He decided that I should at least know.”

Adrien was burning from the inside. Sinclair should have told him about his plan. He didn’t even know how stupid they looked right now. Adrien hated being too clueless. He hated looking like a complete idiot unaware of what was going on in his surroundings. He might join Nino on arguing with Sinclair once they see him again.

“I really do appreciate and would like to thank you for the effort that you have put in guarding my family.” Thanked Mr. Lavillant. “I know that you have far more important things to do but I would like to ask- beg, even, for the both of you to keep this mission.” Mr. Lavillant had a pleading look in his eyes. “Our family needs your assistance. I do not know what I would do if I lose any of them.” Mr. Lavillant hung his head.

Adrien admired the depth of their client’s attachment towards his family. He knew that any father would feel the same way if his family were being threatened. Adrien halted the flashbacks from overcoming his thoughts again. He had always wanted it to go away, but then he figured that it would always be a part of him no matter how much he didn’t want it to.

“Mr. Lavillant,” Adrien spoke up. “When we accepted this mission, we intended to stay until it ends. A spy’s duty does not conclude until his client has been satisfied and is safe. Right now, your family’s fate is still in grave danger. Me and my colleague would like to help your family for as long as you would let us.”

Mr. Lavillant beamed at them. “I am glad. Though I would like to ask you for a favor.”

“What is it?” asked Nino.

“I think it would be much better if you would stay with us as much as you can. That is why I have arranged with Sinclair that you would reside in the mansion throughout your mission. Your rooms are already prepared; it is at the same floor as the girls. You can ask any butler or maid to accompany you.”

Complaint was fuming in Adrien’s system. Farewell to his personal space and privacy. Technically, he might as well bid farewell to his freedom. He despised having too many people around him. He knew that residing in the Lavillant mansion would take away his time for himself and time for a bit of relaxation- especially now that they had to protect the Lavillants 24/7. But they had no other choice but to agree. Mr. Lavillant was the client after all.

“Agreed.” Said Adrien. Though he really was hoping that Mr. Lavillant would change his mind. “Will there be anything else?”

Mr. Lavillant thought for a moment. “Ah, yes. Sinclair said that my wife and the girls should be aware of it, too. But we could not entirely reveal your identities since it would be too risky. For now, I have decided that we should not tell the girls about the threats yet. I do not want Marinette and Alya’s family to get worried about them. They have entrusted their daughters to me. I have watched them grow up ever since they were little. I treat them as my own daughters as well. I would like them to be kept safe, too.”

Adrien didn’t know that Mr. Lavillant have been watching over Alya and Marinette for a long time now. That must be the reason why he was so concerned about them.

Nino pushed his glasses up. “What will we tell them, then?”

Chatters of voices and clatters of heels echoed through the room, indicating the presence of the ladies.

Adrien felt the need to converse with Mr. Lavillant more. He had so many queries and it could be the prefect time to ask him questions that could give them answers to finding out who P was. He wasn’t rushing but so long as P was giving out cryptic letters to them, he could not risk having anyone get hurt. If what had happened to Rose already bothered them, he couldn’t imagine how it could affect them if something else happens to their family.

“Girls, come over here for a minute.” Mr. Lavillant called to them.

Adrien and Nino nudged each other. They had no idea of what Mr. Lavillant would say. But they hoped that it would not be too bad that they’d rather hide under their beds than to go on with their mission.

“Is everything all right, Father?” asked Juleka.

Mr. Lavillant pulled on his tie, loosening it. “I am still rather disturbed and my mind could not be put at ease since Rose’s incident. That is why I have decided that I should tell you about Chat and Niño’s real occupations.”

Adrien felt Marinette’s gaze briefly dart to him. But when he looked at her, her eyes were fixated at Mr. Lavillant. Could she have doubted him, too?

“They will be your escorts for the time being,” said Mr. Lavillant.

Adrien wanted to disappear.

_Escorts?_

They weren’t escorts, they were spies for heaven’s sake!

Adrien was furiously gnashing his teeth, keeping himself from saying anything. This must have been included in Sinclair’s stupid excuse of a plan. What angered him the most was it was as though Sinclair made them walk into this situation completely naked. They absolutely had no clue of what was to happen. Adrien could sense Nino’s anger as well. They had every right to be mad. Sinclair did not even brief them about this.

And now they have to pretend to be _escorts._

Adrien wasn’t some butler that they could order around.

The thought of it makes him want to fly back to France and hide forever.

But they had to do it for the mission.

_Think of the mission, Adrien._

_Stop making such a fuss about it._

“Escorts? Like bodyguards?” Rose questioned. “For us?

Adrien cringed at the word _bodyguard._

“Yes, dear.” Mr. Lavillant answered. “To make sure that you are safe at all costs. Once I heard that my friend has nephews who are excellent escorts and are planning on having a vacation in London, I thought that perhaps I could give it a try and have them keep their eyes on you. I refrained them from informing you of their real intentions because I want you all to spend your days just as you normally would. I know full well that having them watch over you with having the knowledge of their job would be different.” Mr. Lavillant explained.

He glanced at his watch and buttoned his suit. “I have to leave now, I am going to be late for an appointment. I stopped by to have a quick talk with Chat and Niño. I hope that I have made my self clear. I will see you all when I get back. Please stay safe,” he said, deeply concerned.

Mr. Lavillant nodded at them before proceeding outside.

Adrien felt the ladies’ eyes burning holes on the back of their heads. He was certain that they have a string of questions to ask them and as much as Adrien wants to keep his mouth shut, he had to be polite and reply to them seeing as it was his and Nino’s duty.

And he still had to conceal his identity of being a spy.

“Father must really be concerned of our safety,” said Rose.

Nino clasped his hands behind his back. “He has never stopped thinking about your well-being since the accident. That is why he resolved that he should inform you about us in order for you to be more cautious.” Nino cleared his throat. “And from now on, we will all be living under the same roof.” It earned a collective gasp from the girls.

“ _Temporarily_.” Nino added.

Adrien had nothing more to say. He _didn’t_ want to say anything. Living under the same roof only added up more to his list of distractions that kept him from keeping his mind set solely on the mission.

“So…” Alya trailed off. “You will be following us _everywhere_ we go?”

Nino shrugged one of his shoulders. “It seems like it. That is what Mr. Lavillant ordered us to do. Right, Chat?” Nino nudged his arm.

Adrien felt himself combusting.

Never have he imagined that this was how things would turn out in this mission.

“Yes.” He simply said.

And finally, Marinette spoke. “When will you start staying here?”

He kept his mouth shut. Staying in the mansion meant he would see the careless and clumsy girl every. Single. Day. He wondered how many times he had to witness her slip on the floor.

Nino glanced at Adrien, waiting him to answer. But Adrien was too busy brooding to think of a proper reply.

Nino sighed. “Tomorrow at the very least. We have to talk to our uncle first and pack our possessions from our apartment.”

Marinette smiled. “We are more than happy to welcome you here.”

Nino draped his arm over Adrien’s shoulders. “Likewise. Isn’t that right, cousin?”

Adrien wanted to punch him.

He removed Nino’s arm from his shoulders. He looked at them with a blank expression. “We are glad-” _Not really._ “-to be of service. I would like to excuse Niño and myself for we have to get going and settle everything that has to be sorted out. Farewell.” He dipped his head, turned on his heels and proceeded to the door. Nino emitted a much friendlier goodbye than Adrien’s before following him out.

Adrien’s mind was intangible knots.

He needed a drink.

 _A lot_ of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ＾▽＾  
> Fun fact: I actually had a hard time deciding on who'd find out first- Jermaine or Rosella. Rosella's route, though......I figured that the confrontation alone could last up to three to four chapters. I originally planned that she wouldn't be as understanding as Jermaine and that she'd DEFINITELY give the two spy dorks a very hard time once they move to the mansion. And going forth with this route would lead to a GREAATTTTT hindrance between Adrien and Marinette. I just couldn't shove another reason of hindrance in their long, long list of hindrances. And alas, Jermaine it is. 
> 
> P.s. Thank uu for reading this storyyy! :) :*  
> P.p.s. The next chapter is.....well, it's going to shed a bit of light on Marinette doubts. ;))


	13. Garments and Compliments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which troubles are paved away with a sincere confession and affections begin to deepen.

It had been three days since Chat announced that they would now be living in the mansion as well. But up until now, they still have not come back. Chat didn’t look as pleased as Niño. In fact, Chat looked rather…infuriated.

 _Maybe Chat wasn’t the type of person who liked living with too many people._ Marinette presumed.

She wasn’t too surprised of the revelation that they were acting as their escorts. Marinette knew that they were hiding something from the start. But for the past days, she hasn’t even seen a glimpse of their shadows. Perhaps they were still trying to reach their uncle. The thought of them moving to the mansion made Marinette feel excited and nervous at the same time; _both_ of them, of course.

Rose stood in front of her mirror, styling her pixie cut hair. “When do you think they will be arriving?”

Juleka looked up from her book. “Father has not said anything since. And I have not heard any news from the _messieurs_.”

“Could they have changed their mind?” Alya wiped the lenses of her glasses with a silk cloth. “It sure does seem like a lot of work. Having to guard four girls from sunrise to sundown. If I were in there shoes, I would never accept this offer.”

Juleka chuckled. “That is because you are too busy finding the perfect dress to wear for the day to even notice that your clients are already long gone.”

“Exactly.” Alya approved.

Chat’s coat has been sitting at the back of her closet ever since he asked her about it. Marinette washed it as soon as she finished sulking by her door. She should have given it back as soon as she could. She told herself that she would talk to Chat when she gives his coat back. But how could she talk to him if she doesn’t even see him?

And why does she care so much in the first place? She hated feeling like this. She tried to convince herself that Chat was nothing but a jerk. But everytime she does, she just remembers the good things he’s done for her. He didn’t seem like a bad person when he saves her. She’d like to see that side of him again. He might not even think about her as much as she think of him but she just couldn’t help it.

She didn’t know if she should hate it or like it.

“Marinette? Are you not feeling well?”

All the girls were now staring at her.

Alya waved a hand in front of Marinette’s face. “You look flushed. Are you ill, Mari?”

Marinette dodged when Alya made a move to touch her forehead.

“No, I am fine,” she smiled at her, widely.

Juleka brushed the violet stripe amongst her black hair away from her face. “Speaking of Chat and Niño, Chloé and Sabrina would surely visit the mansion more often. I have heard that Chloé is deeply interested in Monsieur Chat. I pity him.” Juleka giggled.

_Interested in Chat?_

The wheels on Marinette’s head turned. Chloé must be the blonde girl that Chat was talking to when she was spying him from her window.

“Is it a bad thing?” asked Marinette. “Her liking Chat?”

She didn’t know why but she felt…other things. She wasn’t exactly sure of what it was but she knew that it didn’t feel good.

Juleka rolled her eyes. “ _Ugh._ Chloé is the worse. She ruins everything there is to ruin. And once she sets her eye on someone, she will do _anything_ to make them hers. She is the only daughter of one of the wealthiest men in England, after all. That is why she had grown up to be such a spoiled brat.”

“We go to the same school and I have to say that my sister’s description of her is impressively accurate.” Added Rose.

The door to Rose’s room opened, revealing Mrs. Rosella. “Ladies, could you please welcome Chat and Niño? They are currently downstairs. I have to meet with Jermaine immediately in Glasgow.”

Rose stood up. “Of course, mother. Please be safe.”

“Thank you, dear. Accompany the guests, all right? We will be back as soon as we can.” Mrs. Rosella rushed out of the room and left the door open.

“Let us go downstairs, then. They must be waiting for us.” Said Juleka, dusting her skirt.

_They’re here._

Marinette’s heart leaped. _The coat._

“You guys-uh-go on without me.” She excused. Marinette grappled the top of her skirt in her hands, lifting them up for her to run without stumbling.

Alya stared at her. “Where are you going?”

Marinette began to gesticulate with her hands. “I just have to get something real quick.” She sprinted to the door. “See you!”

 

~

 

Marinette hugged the coat to her chest. She didn’t know what Chat would say to her once she gives it back to him. He might either tease her or completely ignore her. But it didn’t matter; she had to give it back to him, anyways.

She carefully made her way down the stairs, being mindful of every step that she took. She didn’t want to make a grand entrance of tumbling all the way down. That’ll be all of her embarrassments rolled in to one. If only she was as graceful as Juleka, as optimistic as Rose, and as confident as Alya, she’d have no problem in dealing with things like this. She was confident, sure, but it was in her own little way.

Niño stood by the door, waiting for the rest of his luggage to arrive. Rose and Juleka have begun talking to him but Alya was busy filling her nails. Marinette was truly confused of Alya’s relationship with Niño. There are times when they got along but there are times when they don’t.

When Chat emerged, Marinette stumbled on the last step. She quickly righted herself, dusted her dress and held her head up high as if nothing had just happened. But the thought of almost embarrassing herself nagged at the back of her mind.

Chat- as usual –had a cold and serious look on his face. He placed his Gladstone bag on the floor next to Niño’s and tugged on the cuffs of his suit.

She gathered up her courage, squishing the coat in her arms. Marinette pursed her lips and let out a quick heavy breath through her nose.

_I am a confident young woman._

Then, she plastered on a warm welcoming smile and took a step to his direction.

“ _Monsieur Chat!”_

Marinette was halted by the voice.

Seeing whom it came from, Marinette began to glower.

_Chloé._

She spun around, giving Chat a view of her beautiful gown. Marinette grimaced when she thought of herself doing that in front of Chat. He wouldn’t surely like her simple powder blue dress. And she could never be that bold.

Chloé must have heard somewhere that Chat was arriving today, that was why she wasted no time in coming the mansion.

But Marinette was not going to stand still and watch Chloé flirt with Chat and listen to her meaningless coos and endearments. She had. To give him. His coat. Period. And he didn’t look like he was having fun so she might as well interrupt them.

Marinette pressed a hand to her cheeks and brushed her bangs to the side.

She continued her calm pace and quietly cleared her throat when she was nearing them. Just as Chloé had spun him around to lead him outside, Marinette tapped on his shoulder.

Chat turned around to face her, a hint of surprise crossing his features.

“Good morning, Chat.” Marinette smiled at him.

Chloé surveyed her from the very tips of her gown to the top of her head. “Who are you?”

Marinette pulled her hand from under the coat and held it out. “I am Marinette.”

Chloé eyed it for a few seconds before deciding to shake it, only holding the tips of Marinette’s fingers. “Chloé.” She said, curtly.

Rose and Juleka were right; this girl was a brat.

Marinette kept her expression the same and reverted her attention back to Chat. “I have your coat.” She lifted it up for him to see. “Thank you for lending it to me.” She handed it to him.

Chat draped it over his arm. “You are most welcome.” Never expecting it, the corners of his mouth tugged upwards. “And thank you.”

Warmth shot up to the back of her neck.

This was the first time he had smiled at her after a long time.

Chloé was looking at them back and forth as if she was trying to distinguish how close they were or how in world did Chat’s coat ended up being in Marinette’s care. Marinette could tell that Chloé instantly disliked her.

Well, she felt the same.

“Say, Marinette, are you still up for talking a walk around the gardens?” Chat asked out of the blue.

Marinette recoiled. “Eh?”

“You asked me if I could accompany you to the garden to look for ladybugs. Have you forgotten?” Chat tilted his head at her.

Gardens? They barely even talk, how could that agreement have existed?

Chat faced Chloé, placing his hand over hers that was clamped around his arm. “Please excuse me. I have to fulfill a promise that I have made with Lady Marinette long ago.” He took her hand away from him and stood before Marinette, now offering her his arm. “Shall we?”

Chloé gawked at them.

Marinette was blinking at him. Her mind was in circles. “What?”

Chat took a hold of her hand and wrapped it around his arm. “I will take that as a yes,” he opted. “See you soon, Miss Bourgeois.” He said to Chloé.

Chloé continued gawking as they passed her.

Marinette nibbled on her bottom lip.

_What is happening?_

~

 

They walked in the gardens in complete silence. Chat remained quiet while Marinette was furiously thinking of how a miracle could it be that she had her fingers around his strong arm. Even though it was covered with layers of clothing, she could still feel the firm muscles underneath it-

_Stop._

Marinette forced herself to think of ladybugs. There was no point of having such thoughts.

Speaking of ladybugs…

“I do not remember asking you to come with me,” said Marinette.

“That is because you never did.” Chat replied. “I only said that just so I could get away from Chloé.”

_Oh._

It was an excuse.

Feeling a tinge of disappointment, Marinette pulled her hand away from his arm and fiddled with the ribbon on her dress instead.

Surprisingly, Chat grabbed it and placed it back on his arm.

Marinette looked up at him, bewildered.

_Why?_

Answering her unspoken question, Chat said, “You are going to trip.”

Before she could even process what he had just said, Marinette tripped over a rock. But thanks to Chat’s hold of her, she didn’t fall face first on the ground.

“See?” there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

Marinette saw a shadow of a smile appear on his lips. She turned her head to the side, smothering her own. He was still mean to her but it didn’t hurt like before. She didn’t want to feel that again. Ever.

“I trust that you washed this?” Chat smoothed a hand over his coat.

Marinette nodded. “Yes. I washed it myself.”

Chat’s brow twitched. “You did not mess it up, did you not?”

Marinette slapped his arm. “I did not! I can wash a garment just fine.”

Chat didn’t look convinced. “It would have put me at ease if you told me that a maid washed it.”

Comfort coursed through her. She hated not talking to him. She was glad that she mustered enough courage to walk up to him. But she was still curious of his profession. Marinette decided that she should strike the iron while it was still hot.

“So…” she trailed off. “You are bodyguard.”

Chat winced. “I never want to hear that word ever again.”

Marinette raised a brow. “Okay? You are an escort, then.”

Chat shrugged. “I suppose.”

“When did you start? Becoming an escort, I mean.”

Chat let out a bored sigh. “Long ago.”

“In France?”

“Correct.”

Marinette pushed her lips to the side. “You are not fond of talking about this, are you not?”

“Indeed.”

Marinette breathed out. How could he have taken this job if he didn’t like it? Though she couldn’t think of any of his skills except for saving people, there could be something else that he’d love to have as a profession.

She thought of something that could lighten up his mood. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, you can cross me out of the list of people you have to watch over.”

Chat snickered. “Of all the people that I need to keep my eyes on I think it is you who deeply needs it.”

Marinette’s face contorted. “And why is that?”

“I am pretty sure you are aware of how clumsy you are.” He teased. “And you should consider the number of times I have come to your rescue.”

“I did not ask for it.” Marinette pouted.

“But you needed it,” said Chat.

_I did._

_I really did._

Marinette felt heat creeping up to her cheeks. She was very grateful to him. Especially when he came and saved her from the guy named Théo. It would have really traumatized her if he had not arrived. It might be selfish of her but she hoped that at times when she needs him, he’d be there.

They stopped beneath a flower tree and sat on the marble bench. The Lavillants’ garden was truly beautiful. Alluring flowers sprouted from every corner. The gardeners made sure to trim the Bermuda grass every now and then to keep the garden’s pristine aura. If she were to be asked, she thinks that the Lavillants’ garden could be just as beautiful as any garden in London. Marinette could stare at the scenery before her forever. What made her feel even better was the fact that Chat was sitting right beside her. She never wanted to leave her spot.

“Chat? What do you feel about staying in the mansion with us?” Marinette held her hands in front of her as flower petals from the tree above them began to fall.

“Horrible.” He said, not missing a beat.

Marinette snapped her head at him. “Why?”

_What was wrong with this man?_

He slung his arm over the back of the bench. “First, I like living alone. Second, I would not have that much of my personal time as I did before. Third, I have to work longer. Fourth, I have to follow you all around. And fifth,” he paused, “I would have to see your face everyday.”

Marinette felt a crushing pain in her chest. She didn’t know that seeing her bothered him that much. He didn’t exactly tell her that she was ugly but still, it wounded her to hear those words.

“Is…” she swallowed a forming lump on her throat. “Is it that bad? Seeing me?” Marinette looked at him, forcing a smile, “I know that I am not as pretty as the others but you did not have to say it out loud.” She giggled, weakly, masking the pain in her voice. She fixated her eyes on her hands that were gripping her skirt, keeping her tears at bay.

Why did it hurt her so much?

Why does his words affect her too much?

_Why?_

A hand laid above her balled fists.

“I…I am so sorry, Marinette.” Chat’s voice had grown softer. “I had gone too far. I did not mean to hurt you.”

Marinette gnashed her teeth, refusing to let a tear slip down her cheeks. It was the first time she’s heard him speak like that. Her fists loosened. Chat slipped his hand under hers, giving it a squeeze.

“Look at me, please. I want to see your face.”

Marinette shook her head.

She didn’t want him to see her. Not when she looked so stupid.

Chat exhaled. He cupped her cheek, turning her face towards him. Marinette kept her eyes downcasted.

“Why do you think so little of yourself?” his thumb brushed against her cheek.

Marinette wanted to lean her face against his hand, but she didn’t know if she should. His words struck deep in her heart. Why does she think so little of herself he asked? She didn’t know. Perhaps it was because she was surrounded with such confident and wonderful young women while she sat at the corner feeling like an outcast.

Perhaps it was because she wanted him to appreciate her more.

Perhaps it was that.

“Look at me, Marinette.” Chat almost sounded like he was pleading.

Marinette refused.

She wouldn’t be surprised if Chat gave up. She was being stubborn. Chat had other things to do. He shouldn’t waste his time trying to make her look at him.

“You were right.” Chat said. “I did come to your room.”

Marinette’s eyes widened.

_What?_

“I went to your room because I was concerned of your safety after what had happened at the ball with Théo.” His fingers slid down to her chin, lifting her face up. “And I was looking at you before I left.” He admitted. “Do you know why?”

Their eyes locked.

Chat inched closer. “Because I like looking at you. And do you want to know why is that?”

Marinette swallowed, nodding her head.

He pinned her with his gaze.

Chat removed his hand from hers to brush her fringe away from her eyes. “Because you are beautiful, Marinette. I will never get tired of looking at you.”

Marinette softly gasped.

What he had just said, it made her feel more…confident and proud. She never thought that he found her attractive- though he didn’t say it directly –but it still felt all the same. It made her want to jump for joy. But she also liked being this close to him. And she was more than happy to hear that him coming to her room wasn’t just a dream. It had really happened. And he liked looking at her.

Marinette tried to find any hint of tease or mirth in voice, but it sounded nothing but sincere. Just looking at his green eyes made her believe in everything that he said. She knew deep down that Chat would never lie to her when it came to things like this. She would give up the days he’d ignored her for moments just as this in a heartbeat. She might have hated how he affected her too much, but she adored how true and honest he can be when she needs him to.

She should have talked to him sooner.

Feeling her spirits soar up high, Marinette wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face on his chest.

Chat froze for a moment before patting her head and embraced her as well.

It felt…nice. Having him so close. She knew how his scent smelled because of his coat, but this was much, much better.

“Thank you,” she said against his chest. “You do nor know how much that means to me.”

Chat hugged her tight. “I believe I have also complimented you before. At the ball, if you still remember. You had your hair down then.”

Marinette let out a hearty giggle. “I will never forget that.”

“You should not.” He threaded his fingers through her ponytail. “And you mustn't forget how clumsy you are.”

She could almost hear the smile in his voice.

Marinette wanted to stay like that for as long of they could or for as long as he’d let her. It felt as though it was just the two of them.

“Everything I told you. Do not let them get to your head.”

Marinette pulled away from him. “Why not?”

Chat turned straight ahead, crossed his legs and folded his arms. “I do not want you to start forming all sorts of fantasies in your head. You will only be disappointed if it ends up not happening in reality.” He paused, slipping her a glance. “And I do not want you to become a brat like Chloé.”

Her heart felt light. He really did care for her. It pushed all of her negative thoughts and was replaced with anew optimisms.

Marinette beamed at him. “ _D’accord, chaton.”_

Chat briefly stilled before a smile cracked on his lips.

It would be impossible for her to sleep tonight. Marinette knew that she would spend the night replaying this moment and think of the fact that she and Chat was going to live under the same roof. And that she’d get to see and talk to him everyday. She knew that he’d still annoy her and tease her but it wouldn’t faze her anymore.

It was all thanks to Chat’s coat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette T-T
> 
> I hope u gaiz liked this chapter! :) 
> 
> *Luv u, Mari! Mwaps*
> 
> P.S. I've just watched the Christmas special and it was so so so so so so beautiful!! *heart eyes*  
> Commentz nd Kudos are always appreciated :) (>*-*>)*


	14. Fairs and Subconscious Declares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Miss Marinette gains a day filled with revelations and understood affections- much to their oblivious minds -to the funfair with Mr. Chat who was evidently obligated to escort the young maiden.

Marinette hummed to herself as she tied her hair in low pigtails. She wrapped two red ribbons around the elastics to obscure it. She wore a pale yellow dress that ended just above her ankles. The dress was light and thin. Marinette need not to wear anything that was too thick since London’s weather wasn’t that cold anymore. But she still had to carry a coat just in case.

She sprayed a fair amount of perfume all over her dress and pinched her cheeks for some extra blush. Any minute now, he would knock on her door. Marinette had been waiting for this day to arrive ever since she asked him about it. It had been weeks since they moved in. And she could tell that they have gotten closer and have grown more comfortable around each other.

And their banters only increased.

She hugged herself, squealing in delight.

_Today is going to be amazing._

Marinette blushed just from thinking about it.

She heard her door creak open.

“You asked for me?”

Marinette swiveled around to face him with a huge grin on her face. “Yes, it is-”

Her grin faltered as she stared at Chat who was still in his suspenders.

“What are you wearing?” Marinette asked, her eye twitching.

Chat looked down on his attire. “Clothes. Should I not be wearing them?”

Marinette glowered. “Have you forgotten what day it is?”

Chat’s brows drew together. “It is Wednesday.”

Marinette groaned. “Today is the first day of the Ferris wheel! I have told you about this last week!”

Chat walked in her room, closing the door behind him and leaned his hip against her dresser, crossing his arms. “You did. But you left before I could even reply.”

“And?” asked Marinette, impatiently.

“And my answer is no.” Chat replied.

_Jerk._

She even dressed up for today. She was not going to let him refuse.

“No. You are coming with me.” Marinette snapped. “The others did not want to come and Mr. Jermaine told me that I could not go alone. You are the bodyguard, correct? I want to go to the Ferris wheel.”

It had been a long time since she has rode a Ferris wheel. The last time that she could remember was when she was just eight years old. Her parents took her to the _Carnaval_ as a birthday present. It was one of the best birthdays she has ever had. When Rose told her that a funfair- as the Britons call it –in London was going to reopen. Marinette immediately asked them to come with her, unfortunately, the sisters declined. They said that they had gone there for a coupe of times now. And Alya would rather spend her time in the shopping mall. So Marinette had no choice but to ask Chat.

“Just so you know, it is called the _Fun fair_ , not the _Ferris wheel_.” Chat informed, realigning the straps of his suspender.

Marinette glared at him with all her might.

She was going to the Fun fair.

And he was coming with her whether he liked it or not.

When Chat saw how close Marinette was on strangling him, he winced and stood up straight. “Let me get dressed real quick.” He said and dashed out of the room.

Marinette huffed. She was not going to let him ruin her day.

Since they moved in, it had been harder for both Chat and Niño to decline any of the ladies’ wishes. They knew full well that they would be in trouble if Mr. Jermaine or Mrs. Rosella saw any of them wandering around London without Chat or Niño. That was why Marinette was confident about Chat accompanying her.

Marinette took one more look of herself on the mirror. She gave herself a satisfied pat on her shoulder, pleased of what she saw.

_I am beautiful._

 

~

 

Excitement raced through Marinette as they finally arrived the fun fair. People huddled over each booth that all had different prizes hanged up on the front of their stall. Laughters and shouts mingled together throughout the area. Normally, it would have annoyed Marinette, but right now, she felt really giddy. It must be because she missed the ambiance of a fun fair. There were only a few rides but Marinette would like to try them all if she could. She might have to say no to the rollercoaster but she would definitely agree to ride the others.

Chat had a sour look on his face since they left the mansion. She knew that he didn’t want to come but he had no choice. Nonetheless, Marinette still wanted him to have as much fun as she would.

She tugged on his sleeve. “Chat, where do you want to go first?”

He squinted at the invention before him. “Why do we not ride the Ferris wheel now so that we could go home?”

“But it would be much better to ride it at night,” Marinette rummaged through her purse, fishing out a slip of paper. “Look, we can see how beautiful London is when we go on it later,” she said, lifting the black and white photograph to his eyes. “It would not have the same effect if we do it now.”

Chat took the photograph from her. “You took this?”

Marinette shook her head. “Rose gave it to me. She took it last year when she and Juleka rode the Ferris wheel. It looks wonderful, does it not?”

Chat glanced at the Ferris wheel then back at the photograph. “Paris looks much better in my opinion,” he said, handing it back to her. “But I suppose we could give it a try.”

Marinette smiled widely at him. She didn’t want to ride the Ferris wheel just because she wanted to have a magnificent view of London. She wanted to ride it because she’d finally have some time alone with Chat. They didn’t really get the chance to talk just as they did in the garden weeks ago; it was either interrupted by Niño or one of the girls. And Chat had been very busy. Having to spend the day with him warmed every inch of her heart.

“Marinette,” Chat looked around, seeming to look for something. “Where are those screams coming from?”

Marinette furrowed her brows at him. “Screams? What do you-” she stopped when she realized something. “Oh, you meant the rollercoaster. It is not too far away.” Marinette noticed that curiosity in his eyes. “Do you want to go there?”

Chat nodded.

Marinette lead the way, following the string of people that seemed like were headed to the ride as well. She had no plans of setting foot inside the rollercoaster nor would she dare to imagine herself in it. All her life, she had only once experienced riding a rollercoaster. She was too afraid. Though it was Alya’s favorite ride, everytime her friend had to ask her to come with, Marinette always said no. She felt as though she was going to vomit her lungs out once she gets off of the ride.

The loops and the rapid movement never interested her. She would rather engage herself in a much safer ride; one that does not include the need to shout and to be pulled on a loop. Just looking at it made her dizzy. Marinette didn’t have any fear of heights; she just really didn’t like the roller coaster.

She gaped at the contraption as it sent its passengers briefly hanging upside down as it passed the loop. It had the same structure as Promenades Aériennes in France. Marinette only rode it once and she vowed to herself that she would never experience it again. Marinette swallowed, unable to keep her eyes away from the life-threatening ride.

“Well, now that you have seen it I think it is time to g-”

“Let us ride it.”

Marinette felt all the air in her body disperse.

“W-What?” she stammered.

Chat had his eyes locked on the roller coaster and he…he had a smile on his face.

“I have never ridden a roller coaster before.”

Looking at him, it made her want to conquer her fear. She had dreamt of having him smile at her like he did with Chloé. But this one, it surpassed everything.

 

~

 

Marinette gripped the harness, panic rising at every wisp of air that hit her face. She knew she said that she wanted him to enjoy his time in the fun fair but she never meant that she’d sacrifice her dear life for it. Chat had managed to convince her to ride the roller coaster with him and before she knew it, she was strapped onto her seat- at the very front together with Chat –, much to her dismay and horrification.

And they were nearing the petrifying loop.

“Marinette!” Chat called. “Open your eyes.”

Marinette kept it screwed shut. “No!”

“You are going to miss it!”

Feeling the anxiety beginning to swirl around her, Marinette decided to peel one of her eyes open to have a glimpse of the terrifying view before her. She felt bile rising up to her throat. She frantically waved her hand to side to find Chat’s. When she got a hold of it, she took the opportunity to grip it as hard as she could. Marinette didn’t even get the chance to blush when Chat laced their fingers together. She was preparing her lungs for the scream of her life but then…

Marinette looked at Chat.

He had his eyes closed and he was…laughing.

It was such a hearty laugh that Marinette couldn’t help but slip a smile on her lips despite the thought of being turned upside down in a few seconds nagged on her mind. He looked so happy. She wouldn’t miss this for the worl-

“Marinette, look ahead!”

Marinette caught a glimpse of the loop and immediately retreated back to her horrified self.

They were so close.

So close…

Chat squeezed her hand, “Here we go!”

Marinette felt her heart drop to the very pit of her stomach.

“YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS, YOU JERK!”

Marinette shouted as the ride reached the top of the loop.

And she swore to all the Gods above that she was never going to try the roller coaster ever again.

 

~

 

“That was fun!” Marinette exclaimed, breathlessly. “But horrifying.” She said. “But fun!”

Chat chuckled. “I am not so sure about that. You almost stopped the blood from circulating through my fingers by the way you were gripping my hand.”

Marinette stepped aside to let a couple enter the ride. “It was your fault. You made me ride that death trap.”

“And you were the one who dragged me here.”

Marinette slipped him a teasing glance. “But you had fun.”

Chat tried to glare at her, but he was betrayed by his smile. “I guess I could agree to that.”

Marinette giggled. She searched around for booth that sold water bottles. Her lungs still felt dry and sweat was trickling down the back of her neck even though it was nothing but icy cold when they were in the roller coaster.

“Marinette,” said Chat.

“Yes?” Marinette stood on the tip of her toes, continuing her search.

“Your hair…” he trailed off, “It is disheveled.”

Marinette blushed. She must have looked like a chicken had ransacked through her hair.

She started patting it down, “The ride must have caused it. ” Marinette tried to comb her fingers through her knotty hair. “This is so embarassi-”

“Do you mind if I fix it for you?”

Marinette stilled.

_Did he just…?_

With her back still facing him, Marinette nodded her head.

She didn’t expect him to offer such thing. And it was very unlike him to do so. But Chat keeps on surprising her at every opportunity that they spent together.

He took her hand. “Come.”

Her skin felt flush. Chat lead her to a bench and motioned for her to sit.

As soon as she felt his fingers against her scalp, Marinette tensed. She didn’t mean to, but it still surprised her to have him fix her hair. Keeping herself still, Marinette twiddled her thumbs. She knew that what she felt for him only grew and grew at every moment that passed by. It wasn’t too easy to make it stop. Though she hadn’t really tried, because somehow, it felt right. This was the first time she felt something as good as this. She couldn’t really put it into words but she knew that it was real. He was the first man that had made her heart skip a beat.

Chat seemed to have braided a section of her hair on both sides and tied it together at the back, letting the rest of her hair down, and he made sure to add the red ribbons around her elastic. Marinette almost felt dejected that it was over too soon. She really liked his fingers stroking her hair. It felt very relaxing.

“I do not have a mirror with me but I can assure you that you look beautiful.”

Marinette was caught off guard.

There was it again.

She would never get tried of him complimenting her.

“Thank you.” She gathered her hair to the side, impressed of how he untangled all of the knots. “You let it down.”

Chat sat down beside her. “I have not seen you with your hair down for a long time now.”

Marinette felt heat rising to her cheeks. “Do you…Do you prefer if I let it down often?”

Chat cocked his head to the side, thinking. “Well, I believe that when girls who usually tie their hair up and only lets it all down during occasions has an instant impact towards us men. Think of it as a peacock showing off its feather trains, if you must.” He smiled at her. “At least, that is how I think of it.”

Marinette was buoyed up by what he said. She wasn’t certain if she was included in the girls in his description, but nevertheless, it still affected her in a really good way. Chat was an extremely serious person. He could be playful if he desires to. And Marinette was glad that she got to see both sides of him. She wondered what more there was for her to discover of him.

“Are you implying that I look like a peacock?” Marinette teased.

Chat rolled his eyes at her, chuckling. “Do not be stupid.” And in a more serious tone, he said, “You know what I mean.”

Marinette’s cheeks hurt from smiling too much. “I know.” She mumbled.

“I meant to ask,” she turned on her seat to face him, “How did you learn to braid? I think you are much better than I am, actually.” She giggled.

Something shifted in Chat’s expression. It seemed as though she had touched a sensitive subject.

“My mother,” he croaked, but he tried to mask it with a cough. “She always braids her hair. And I was really fascinated by how it looks. Until one day, I caught her sleeping and decided to try it on her.”

Marinette leaned closer. “How did it turn out?”

Chat offered her a rather weak smile. “Better than I expected.” He took off his tie and placed it inside his pocket, unbuttoning the top of his shirt. “And that was when she started teaching me. I always liked to please my mother.”

“Is she back in Paris?”

Chat’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Yes. But…it is not in the way you think. She left when I was seven.”

Marinette lifted a brow. “What do you mean?”

Chat hung his head, his jaw clenched. “I am afraid she has already left this world.”

Marinette gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

_Poor Chat._

He must have really loved his mother.

“I am so sorry. I-I did not mean to-”

“It is all right.” Chat cut her off. “It is not your fault.”

Marinette sank on her seat. She hoped that she had not ruined his mood. Now that she knew about his mother, she’d be more careful of talking about it. She didn’t want him to feel awkward or gloomy any further.

“If your mother is watching over you know, I know that she is very proud of what you have become.” Said Marinette. “Anyone would be proud of you. You are good at everything and for all I know, you have a brain that is as big as that roller coaster.”

Chat chuckled.

“Not only that but you may appear very distant at first but in truth, you are really considerate and funny. And you have the features of a Greek god.” Marinette continued.

Chat burst out laughing. “A Greek god?”

Marinette joined him. “Yes! Perhaps even more good looking than Apollo and Hercules combined.”

Chat hugged his sides, almost choking in his laughter. This was how he laughed with Chloé as well. Marinette felt very proud.

He wiped the tears on his eyes. “I was not aware that you found me _that_ attractive.”

“It is true.” Marinette mumbled too quietly.

She had also noticed the girls that have been spying and gushing on him. Some of them talked about wanting to get a photograph with him. It would really be a disappointment if one of those girls had a photograph with him before she could. Photographs aren’t that expensive in London. Maybe if she could have enough courage, she’d ask him to go with her to the booth later to get their picture taken.

Chat brushed his hair back, amusement still etched on his face. “I am going to assume that you have never ridden a roller coaster before because you are scared.”

Marinette flipped her hair behind her shoulders and shook her head. “I have once in France. What about you? Why have you not ridden it before?”

“My father.” He shrugged. “He is very protective.”

Marinette chortled at him. “An overprotective father who let his son become an escort of a family who lived miles away from him? I have not heard of that before.”

“Father is protective in his own ways. To be honest, I was surprised of his decision as well. But it might have been because of,” he paused, filtering his words, “circumstances.”

Him letting her have a glimpse of his life truly took her by surprise. On the first few weeks prior to their meeting in the main square, Chat kept his mouth shut as much as he could. He would not speak unless someone makes him. And he keeps his guard up at all times- he still does it now –but Marinette was able to see him without it. And she has to admit, even though Chat was already appealing, talking to him without having questions and silly insults as replies was far more captivating. Chat had always been a man of his words.

And she knew that Chat would never break her trust.

 

~

 

Night finally came and Marinette was buoying with happiness as the line got shorter and shorter. They have been waiting for at least half an hour but Marinette didn’t feel any fatigue. Chat on the other hand, was back to being the grumpy man he was. There were girls who tried to talk to him, but Chat didn’t seem interested as he politely cut their conversations short everytime someone came up to him.

Marinette knew that she was being selfish and silly but she felt pleased.

Chat groaned. “I still do not understand why people agree to waste their time just so they could ride this thing.”

Marinette sighed, dreamily. “I told you, it is the view and the feeling that counts.”

Chat’s eyes rolled heavenwards. “All it does is spin monotonously slow. The roller coaster is evidently better.”

Marinette snorted. “It is a fun torture ride.”

Chat bit his lip, suppressing his laughter.

“You did sound like someone was torturing you.” He teased.

Marinette scowled at him, hitting his arm.

“Next, please!” the staff announced.

Marinette squealed and dragged Chat behind her as the staff gestured for them to step inside the open capsule.

_This is it._

Marinette wiggled on her seat, scooting at both sides of the capsule back and forth. Excitement was pouring all over her.

“I swear to God if you keep on moving I will drag you out of this capsule right this instant and go forth with this ride on my own.” Chat rubbed his temples.

Marinette sat still, tapping her fingers on her knees, her smile getting wider at every small move that the Ferris wheel made.

“I just cannot help it!” she exclaimed, pressing her hands to her warm cheeks.

The bell rang, signaling the start of the ride.

Marinette shrieked in glee, quickly scooting to the far end of her seat, making their capsule tilt slightly to the left.

“Marinette,” Chat warned.

She waved her hand, dismissing him. “We are going up!”

“I know.” Chat replied.

Marinette watched as their capsule got higher.

And higher.

And higher.        

“We are getting higher!”

She saw Chat take off his hat from the corner of her eye. “I know.”

“We are getting high off the ground, Chat! Look!”

“I _know_.” Chat stressed. “You do not have to narrate everything to me.”

The capsule was slowly approaching the top.

Marinette noticed that there was an interval of at least half a minute to one before the Ferris wheel moved again. She knew- based from observing it earlier -that after each of the capsule has had their chance to have a moment at the top, the Ferris wheel will move a tad faster for three times and the fourth spin would be the fastest one, adding a thrill to the ride.

Marinette was looking forward to all of those spins.

Two more capsules until it was their turn to be at the center.

Marinette gripped the bar of the capsule, poking her head out to see more of view below them.

“ _Marinette_ ,” Chat warned again. “Could you please scoot to the middle? Might I remind you that this capsule does _not_ have any seatbelts.” There was an edge to his voice.

Marinette shook her head, her eyes locked down below. “I would not see anything if I seat in the middle.”

“But you will be safe.”

Marinette gasped as the Ferris wheel moved again. “One more!”

Chat groaned, giving up.

If only portable cameras have already existed, Marinette would’ve taken a lot of photographs. She would capture every moment that passed by. She would photograph the funfair, the Ferris wheel, roller coaster, booths, _everything._

And Chat, too, of course.

It wasn’t every day that she would have an experience like this with him.

But since that type of camera still didn’t exist, she’d have to rely on her eyes and memory.

“We are next.” Said Chat.

“What?”

Marinette glanced up and saw that they were now on their way to the center.

She jolted back to her spot, causing the capsule to jerk to the side.

“ _Marinette,”_ Chat warned once more. “I know full well that you are excited but could you stay still? You are going to plummet down if you keep on-”

“We are here!” she shouted. “We are finally here.”

Chat winced. “Lower your voice.”

Marinette shook her head, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

It was _beautiful._

Her eyes skirted as far as her vision let her. Looking at the vast landscape was even more enchanting seeing it up high. The little houses and buildings somewhat looked like Christmas lights scattered all around. Marinette beamed as she saw the gardens. From her spot, it looked like the gardens had stepped out from a fairytale book. She could also spot Big Ben that stood high and proud. The Britons were really lucky of having a beautiful city such as this. Marinette wouldn’t ever forget it.

Marinette turned to acknowledge Chat, but her mouth snapped shut when she saw his expression.

She took in every feature of his face. His long lashes framed his beautiful green eyes that surveyed the city below him. His lips were slightly parted and the fair wind was brushing his hair back, earning Marinette a perfect frame of his face. Chat looked very relaxed and it seemed like he was as amazed as she was. His chest rose and fell with even breaths. The tint of red on his cheeks only made him look more attractive.

A small gasp escaped her lips.

Marinette’s hand flew to clutch the fabric above her chest.

Her heart was beating too fast. And even though hadn’t even ran a mile, she still felt breathless. It was almost as though he took her breath away without warning. Marinette could feel her face redden.

Chat wet his lips and slowly glanced at her. His brows furrowed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Marinette tensed. “N-Nothing.”

“Are you sure? You are not feeling dizzy, are you?” Chat asked, concern was dripping on his voice.

Marinette gulped. “I am fine.”

Chat didn’t look convinced. He nodded and turned his attention back to the scenery.

Marinette took a deep breath.

Her heart felt too full.

She knew that she felt something for him but it seemed as if it had grown so much bigger. It was too much that she herself couldn’t keep it all in.

It wasn’t the ride that was making her feel dizzy.

It was _him._

She liked him.

She really liked him.

Marinette gripped the fabric harder, letting her adoration for him grow as big as it could.

_“I like you, Chat. So much.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ＼(＾▽＾)／
> 
> P.S. This chapter was actually inspired by a certain episode from Kamisama Hajimemashita (*^ω^) *my inner otaku is showing, meeep.* 
> 
> Hope u gaiz liked this chapter! (Enjoy the fluff while it lasts)  
> Thank u for continuing to read this story! And thank youu for your interest! *mwaps*


	15. Fondness and Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Miss Marinette has plunged deeper into her blossoming emotions all while Mr. Agreste is trapped in his own complicated world.

Marinette hugged her knees to her chest, burying her flaming face in them as Alya paced the length of her room with a hand on her hip.

Alya paused at the center, crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. “So you are telling me that you _like_ him. As in like to the point that you might love him someday.”

Marinette hugged her knees tighter, nodding her head. She decided to tell Alya about her journey to the funfair with Chat the previous day. Marinette’s admission shocked her herself. She couldn’t really explain to what extent her feelings for him spanned but she could say that he has made himself a special space in her heart.

Alya was in a mix of surprise and disappointment. Surprised because Marinette finally admitted it to herself despite the fact that it was too obvious and disappointed because everytime they talk about Chat, Marinette only tells her friend about the opposite of what she felt. Even though Alya knew all along that she was lying, Alya still preferred her to tell the truth.

“Did anything happen? Between the two of you, I mean?” asked Alya.

Marinette propped her chin on her arm. “Nothing happened. We just talked and he told me a bit about his family.”

Alya quirked a brow. “He opened up to you?”

Marinette nodded. “It was not much. His mother died when he was just seven years old and he also mentioned that his father is quite protective.”

“Really now?” Alya doubted. “Anyways, going back to your confession. Did you tell him about it? Or did you give out clues or anything?”

If her blushing, stuttering and staring were counted, then yes, she did give some obvious clues.

Marinette scrunched her nose. “I do not think so. Even if I did, he would only brush it off. Is there not a rule for people like them that says they should not involve themselves in a romantic relationship with their clients?”

She hid the sadness in her voice. Marinette didn’t want to expect anything from Chat but it was hard not to. Of course she’d want their relationship to progress. She hoped that she could have many chances of spending more time with Chat to get to know him better. Even if he probably wouldn’t open up to her as much as she wants him to, at least she’d have small glimpses of his life.

A thought came in Marinette’s mind. “How about you and Niño?”

Alya recoiled, almost cringing. “What do you mean by what about me and Niño?”

Marinette stretched her legs on the mattress. “What is happening between you two? Everytime I see you talking to him you are either shooting daggers with your eyes or you have the faintest of smiles.”

Alya pursed her lips and sat at the end of the bed. “I do not know what is going on with me and that goofball. We just like to talk,” she paused, “sometimes, that is all.”

It didn’t answer half of what Marinette wanted to know. “Do you have feelings for him?”

Alya jerked back, standing up again. “What the hell are you talking about? Of course not! I will _never_ fall for that man.” She huffed.

Marinette squinted her eyes, remembering a conversation she had with Alya long ago. “I believe I said the same thing about Chat. But look at me now, my mind and heart is a mess because of him.”

Before, Marinette tried to deny it as much as she could. She even tried deciphering his darkest of secrets and attempted to discover a flaw that would make her hate him. But she was only met with nothing. He made her fall for him without him meaning to. Chat didn’t seem to care about women when it comes to their affections for him. That was why Marinette was convincing herself not to expect too much from him.

“Oh, Mari.” Alya cooed, sitting next to her and patted her head. “You should not get yourself too attached. Men like Chat, they are more of a complex puzzle. You would not have the slightest of idea if you are getting things right or if you are only leading yourself to the wrong path that would end up to you starting all over again. You will never know where they are at and what they feel.”

Marinette let out a deep breath, resting her head on Alya’s shoulder. Chat was more than a complex puzzle. He was too complicated that she didn’t even know how to compare him with other things. She rarely knows what he feels and he hardly lets her. She understood that it was a part of his job and that she was not an exception. But still, she found it hard to let the thought sink in.

Regardless of how things would turn out, Marinette prepared herself from the unrequited love that she may get.

 

~

 

“Soooo,” Nino swiveled his chair, hooked his foot on the table stand, stopping just beside Adrien. “How was Mr. Loverboy’s romantic date yesterday?” he wiggled his brows at him.

Adrien faced him with annoyance steaming off his face. He stuck his foot out and abruptly pushed Nino’s chair away from him, sending Nino rolling to the end of the room.

“You jerk.” Nino pushed on his feet pulling the chair with him as he went back to his place. “I suppose that meant you had a horrible time.”

Adrien screwed his eyes shut. “I did not have a horrible time.”

Nino rolled his chair beside him again. “Then why do you look like a bull who is seeing red all over the place?”

Adrien’s temple throbbed with exasperation. This was what he meant by having no time for himself at all. Half of every single day, Nino wastes his time inside Adrien’s room to talk about all sorts of crap. He said that he was still getting used to not being in their office all day. And that he’d rather have someone to talk to than to stare up the ceiling.

“Why are you still here, Nino?”

Nino stood from his chair and jumped on Adrien’s bed, spread-eagled. “I want to know what happened.” He said, crossing his arms beneath his head.

Adrien ran a hand down his face. “Nothing happened. And I am _not_ a loverboy and it was most definitely _not_ a romantic date.” He clarified. “Marinette only asked me to accompany her because she was going alone. The others did not want to come with her.” He shot Nino a suspecting glance. “How did you even know about it?”

“Alya told me.” He replied. “You said that you did not have a horrible time. How was it then?”

Adrien turned back to his files. _How was it?_

It was true that it wasn’t terrible. In fact, he actually enjoyed it- especially the roller coaster part. He couldn’t get the look on Marinette’s face when he told her that he’d like to go on the ride off of his mind. Seeing her expression when they were on it was far more hilarious. But even though it frightened the light out of her, she still managed to have fun in the midst of her horror.

Adrien halted the forming smile off his face. “It was enough for me not to rush all the way back here. Marinette was really enthusiastic and it was evident that she wanted to visit the funfair.” Adrien gulped, remembering the look on her face when he told her that he didn’t want to come. “I did not want to ruin it for her.”

“Huh,” Nino sat up. “I did not know that you could be that thoughtful.”

Adrien glared at him.

“I was teasing!” Nino held his hands up. “I know full well that you can be thoughtful if you want to. But on a serious note, Adrien, you should try getting your walls down a bit.”

It caught him off guard. “What?”

It had been a long time since Nino told him to do so. Everytime he does, he was always right. But Adrien didn’t understand why he was saying it now. There was no need to have himself be sorted out by everyone. He didn’t need to put his feelings and emotions up on stage. He’d rather keep it to himself as he always does.

Nino pushed himself towards the edge of the bed. “You know what I mean.”

“No. I honestly do not.” Adrien deadpanned.

Nino huffed. “Do you not think that being too reserved could affect someone else?”

Adrien cocked a brow. “What are you talking about?”

“Agreste, I think we both know that out of all people here in this mansion I am the only one who truly understands that complicated mind of yours.”

“Correct.” Adrien agreed.

“And I also know that when you are in a mission, you tend to be increasingly aloof, stoic and impassive- which has already been a normal case for me because I have shared missions with you for a long time now.” He explained. “But this time though, I have noticed that you took it up a notch.”

Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nino, I have no idea of what you are getting at. Can you just drop this?”

“Absolutely not.” Said Nino. “Adrien, you are like a horse who refuses to look at any direction besides for what is ahead of him. I mean, that could be good at times so that you could focus on the important things, but you shall not forget that you must also mind the factors surrounding you. No matter how little they may be.”

Adrien’s thoughts were a complete blur. He still had no idea of what Nino was trying to tell him. Sure, most of the things he said were right but Adrien was confused of what triggered his friend to come up with a confrontation like this.

Nino glowered at him. “I swear to God, Adrien. I know that you are abnormally smart but you could be really frustratingly stupid sometimes.”

“I am not stupid.” Adrien scoffed. “You are being too obtuse.”

Nino laughed once out of humor. “If anyone is being obtuse it is you. Adrien, you are secluding yourself solely in this mission and within your own thoughts and emotions. I bet you do not even know about Marinette.”

His breath shook. “What did she do?”

She hadn’t done something idiotic, had she not? Adrien tried to warn her whenever he could. Now that he could see her without impediments, he could easily keep his eye on her to prevent her from injuring herself because of her irresponsibleness over and over again.

_Classic Marinette._

Nino righted his glasses. “Marinette is at the point of her life where she starts to mingle and explore things with other people. She is two years younger than us, correct?”

Adrien nodded.

“Well, seeing as she is on a vacation without her parents, there is no doubt that she would want to try and feel certain experiences at this stage. Compared to Alya, Marinette is more of the sweet and innocent kind, the type of lady who treasures kindness and goodwill. She still has a lot to go through, but I also know that doubts are clouding her mind right at this very moment because of you.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. What in the world was Nino talking about? He should have kicked him out of his room minutes ago. This would only add up to the million of things he would contemplate about tonight.

“Why would she think of me?” asked Adrien.

Nino drew in a long breath. “Has it ever crossed your mind that Marinette might like you?”

Adrien almost fell off his seat. Of all the things that he could tell him why did it have to be that?

Inwardly, he winced. “ _Why_ would she like me? She calls me a jerk and a pervert. I doubt that she even cares.”

“Lie all you want, Agreste.” Nino’s eyes flickered with a knowing flare. “But I know better.”

Adrien gritted his teeth, forcing Nino’s words to flow out of his ears. She _does not_ like him. She likes annoying him at times, sure, but that’s only because she wants to get back at him for all of the teasing that he’s done. It’s never because she wanted him to notice her. And at the back of his mind, he knows that she cares for him, but that was because Marinette’s very kind and caring. She’s like that with everyone.

He’s not special to her.

He never will be.

And he’d like to keep it that way.

“See? You are too immersed in this mission that you fail to pay attention to others.” Said Nino. “Next thing you know, someone is already plotting to kill you.” Nino heaved out a tired sigh. “What I want to tell you is to let loose a bit. It is not a sin to experience life, Adrien. You have accomplished things that people at our age still has not. You have already done so much for other people. Do you not think it is time to consider what you need and want?”

Adrien felt the words in his tongue disperse all at once. He has never thought of it like that. He always put people first before him. It has been a habit of his since his mother died. He wants to experience more of what life has to offer, of course. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready yet. He believed that he had no time for those type of things. He believed that he existed to save other people and not for himself.

He stood up, taking his tie off. “I need some fresh air.”

Damn Nino and his big mouth. He should’ve pointed those things out when they’re through with their task.

“Adrien,” Nino called from the bed as he opened the door.

Adrien gripped on the knob, his back facing his friend.

“Do not get too worked up in this mission. You might hurt her in the end.”

Chill ran down his spine. Adrien offered him a single nod before exiting the room.

_“You might hurt her in the end.”_

Adrien went over every single word in his head. Why would he hurt her? He wasn’t certain if Nino was implying on physical or emotional pain. But Adrien presumed that it might be the latter. Even though he didn’t know- and would likely not want to –if it would happen, Adrien wanted to know how he could prevent it. He could distance himself from her but could it hurt her feelings? She was quite emotional when they had a talk in the gardens long ago. Adrien admitted to himself that he never wants to see her like that again. And to think that it was his-

Adrien stumbled back. He gathered his scattered thoughts when he saw that it was Mrs. Rosella that he had bumped into.

“My apologies, Mrs. Lavillant. I was too distracted.” Adrien bowed.

“Ah, ‘tis all right, Adrien.” Her smile immediately disappeared when she realized her mistake. “Chat, I meant.” She looked around and was relieved when she saw that no one was near them. “I guess you could say that I am quite distracted, too.” She chuckled. “Is everything well? You seem to be worried.”

Adrien buried the thoughts in his mind, offering her a small smile. “Everything is fine. I apologize.”

Mrs. Rosella nodded. “Oh, before I forget,” she fished a note from the pocket of her blue dress. “Someone came by the mansion earlier and I happen to be on my way out. He said that it is for you.” She handed him the folded note.

Before Adrien could even read what’s inside, he already knew whom it came from.

“Mrs. Lavillant, did you happen to see what the man look like?”

She shook her head. “I have not. He wore a hat, a pair of dark glasses and a mouth mask. He was in a hurry so I did not get to ask for his name.”

Adrien’s stomach was beginning to form knots. Whoever that was, he could have killed Mrs. Lavillant right then and there. Sinclair was right. Barbot’s team was working their way from bottom to top.

“Thank you, Mrs. Lavillant. If anyone delivers a note again, please look for me first. And if anything feels wrong, I advice you to inform your coachman immediately and return back to the mansion as soon as possible.” He forewarned.

Mrs. Lavillant had a confused look on her face. “A-All right. Thank you, Chat. I will be careful.”

As Mrs. Lavillant was out of sight, Adrien rushed out of the mansion, stopping in front of the gates. Why did it feel as though the note held something much more sinister this time around? He almost didn’t want to read it.

But he had to.

His fingers shaking, Adrien unfolded the note.

As soon as he finished, Adrien turned on his heels and darted to the maiden’s room.

_Why?_

_Why did it have to be her?_

_A damsel in distress, it is what is to come._

_And the damsel we seek,_

_is your fair maiden._

_-P_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. :)


	16. The Miraculous and Taboos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the probability of having danger strike at every possible prey soared higher, leaving the disoriented spies in a pool of predicament.

Marinette screeched, covering her chest with her arms. “Chat! What are you doing here?”

Chat was casually leaning against the wall just a few inches from her door, poker-faced.

He pushed himself off the wall and strode in front of her. “I am guarding you,” he simply said.

Her face turned scarlet. “W-Well, do not guard me early in the morning!” She pushed him aside, walking past him. “There is no need to be an escort at time like this.”

She could still feel his eyes drilling at the back of her head.

“Where are you going?”

“Bathroom.”

“I am coming with you.”

Marinette froze. _What?_

She liked him, sure, but Chat was escalating too quickly. Of course she’d like to spend every single second of everyday with him but bathroom siestas aren’t included. She was sure that her hair was in disarray and there might also be a faint streak of drool on her cheeks- although she hoped that she didn’t look too ridiculous. Of all the times that he had to watch over her why did at have to be in the morning?

Chat rolled his eyes at her. “I am going to wait _outside._ I am not really a pervert, just so you know.”

Marinette could feel her heart thud. He didn’t have to wait for her for heaven’s sake. And she had no intention of letting him.

“Iwillllbeonmyway. Bye!” she quickly said and darted down the hall as fast as she could.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” Chat called.

She didn’t dare to look back as she knew that Chat would be pinning her with his deathly gaze if she does. Marinette slammed the door shut and took deep breaths, trying to still her drumming heartbeat. The only reason why she decided to use the bathroom outside her room was because the toilet in hers was clogged. And her bladder was already painfully full.

Taking a glimpse on the mirror, Marinette winched at the sight.

She didn’t look too bad but her hair looked like a bird’s nest. Her face was too red and she still had faint sleeping lines on her cheeks. She couldn’t believe that Chat saw her looking like that. Perhaps she should consider prepping up before she walks out of her room from now on.

Chat has been intensely guarding her for two days now. He never told her why and at first, Marinette didn’t want to complain. But now that he appears out of nowhere for the rest of the day until she falls asleep, Marinette might reconsider. Yesterday, he accompanied her and Alya to the shopping mall against his will. Though he tried to appear like it didn’t bother him, Marinette could tell how displeased he was by how hard he was gritting his teeth throughout the trip. If she hadn’t pushed him out of her room he would have slept on her floor last night. Marinette had no idea of what had caused him to act like that. She wasn’t being threatened, wasn’t she? She barely knew anyone in London.

But then, it still made her quite worried. Chat knew that Rose was in trouble when he saved her. Marinette remembered how frantic he was as he searched for her whereabouts. Could it be that she was in the same situation?

Marinette shook her head, flushing the toilet. Chat might have only heard about Rose and Juleka’s trip to Brighton. And he might be aware of the abandoned shack that they may encounter. She was certain that Chat didn’t have any psychic powers of seeing what’s to happen in the future.

Or does he?

She blew out her cheeks, stopping her thoughts from turning to a turmoil that would only hurt her brain. If anything were to happen to her, Chat would likely come to rescue. He was guarding her wherever she went, she doubted that anyone would dare to hurt her if Chat was there.

As she closed the door, Marinette shrieked when she saw Chat standing right in front of her.

She let out a staggered breath, pressing a hand to her chest. “You frightened me.”

Chat stared at her with a hard look on his face. “Apologies.”

Marinette furrowed her brows at him. He was looking _straight_ into her eyes. It was as if he didn’t want to look anywhere else. But it wasn’t the type of gaze that made her heart skip a beat. Him staring at her like that made her feel very uncomfortable.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Marinette asked.

Chat quietly groaned. He peeled his eyes off of hers and turned his head to the side instead.

Marinette scratched at her ear, wondering why Chat was acting like that.

Then, remembering the clothing that she was wearing, Marinette’s arms shot up, covering her chest again.

She swallowed hard. “You-You were not looking, were you not?”

Chat scowled. “If I did look, do you not think I would still make the effort of keeping my eyes locked anywhere but at it?” There was an edge in his voice.

“In all honesty, Marinette, you should really consider wearing something to cover that, that,” he struggled for the right word to say, “bosom of yours underneath your nightgown.” He scolded. “Not everyone is a gentleman.”

Chat had a point.

Marinette huffed. “Fine.”

If she ever encounters a man like Théo again, she made sure that she would fight back. Marinette didn’t like being touched like that. It was a good thing that Chat gave that man a taste of his own medicine.

“I am going to the new gallery that has opened up in the main square today. Are you coming with?”

Marinette hoped that he would. He was protecting her after all. And the girls weren’t really that much fond of art just as Marinette was. She surely couldn’t take Alya with her. And Rose has told Marinette about taking a trip to Glasgow to visit a friend of hers. Juleka and Alya were coming, but Marinette declined. She’d rather spend her day in the gallery.

Chat breathed out. “I really do not have any other choice, don’t I?”

 

~

 

The gallery was buzzing with people. Regally dressed Britons paced around the room, examining each and every art displayed in the small building. Faint violin instrumental wafted throughout the space. There were many people but it wasn’t too crowded. In fact, it was just enough.

Marinette has heard about the gallery through Mrs. Rosella. She noticed that Marinette was keen on sketching, and so she gave her tickets to an on going art gallery that would last up to three days. Mrs. Rosella said that the artist chose to remain anonymous and that through the years, he chose to display his magnificent artworks for only one event a year. Sometimes it even stretches up to one event in two years. The artist stated that it was one of the factors that kept the magic alive in his art, and the mystery behind of it all as well.

“Marinette,”

She glanced at Chat who nodded at her to come to his place. She expected him to be dismal as he was at the start of their journey to the funfair but Chat was surprisingly enjoying his time in the gallery. He must be a connoisseur of art, too.

As she reached him, Chat nodded at the painting hung before them.

Turning her head, Marinette eyes found the artwork. She gasped as she saw one of its main elements.

“I thought you might like it.” Chat shrugged.

Marinette only managed a nod.

The canvas had a sunflower painted at the bottom left, and on one of its petals rested a ladybug. Then just beside the sunflower was a black cat, only showing half of its head. The cat had the same alluring eyes like someone Marinette knew. There was a white card taped beside the painting. Marinette squinted her eyes at the letters.

_Miraculous._

Its name made it even more enticing.

The painting was quite simple but it contained everything that she adored. Some people might think of it as plainly beautiful but to her, it was simple but strikingly elegant. She could buy the painting but Marinette knew that it was too expensive. She figured that she should just preserve it in her mind.

Marinette giggled, pointing at the cat. “It is you.”

Chat grinned. “I knew you would say that.”

Marinette’s eyes skirted along every inch of the canvas, memorizing it, “Coming with me is not so bad, is it not?”

Chat took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair before placing his fedora back on his head. “I suppose so. Though I would unquestionably love to ride on the roller coaster with you again,” he teased.

The corners of her mouth tugged upwards. “If you would let me crush your fingers then why not.”

Chat smiled and turned back on the painting. “I see that you are fond of this piece.”

Marinette nodded. “It is beautiful.”

“Are you going to purchase it?”

Marinette pouted, shaking her head. “I cannot. It is too expensive. And besides, I have already committed it to my memory.”

Chat knitted his brows at her. “But having it physically is far more special, do you not agree?”

“I know. But I cannot do anything about it.” Marinette said, dejectedly. “And I am certain that there is going to be someone else who’s going to love it more than I do. One cannot have everything she wants, you know.”

Chat pressed his lips on a thin line. She had not said anything stupid, hadn’t she? And she did make sense. There were other beautiful artworks displayed in the gallery, but Marinette doubted that there was going to be a painting that was going to strike her as much as the Miraculous did.

“I am going to find the comfort room.” Chat said, looking around. When he realized that he wouldn’t find it from his place, he looked down on Marinette with a sincere look in his eyes. “Stay here, okay? Wait for me to come back.”

There was it again. The beat of her heart had begun a different pace.

Marinette nodded and watched him saunter through the gathering people.

He always managed to carry himself at ease. Marinette presumed that his confidence only added up to his attractiveness and charisma. Anyone could mistake him as a model. If only Chat was more willing, Marinette knew that he would have already been popular just by having people photograph him or have him as their model for their drawings or paintings.

She listened as a couple conversed about the Miraculous. The lady sounded like she really loved the painting. Her lover said that if she liked it too much, he’d buy it for her. Marinette felt her heart sank. She had no choice, though. The painting caused more than all of her shoes combined.

Her interest towards ladybugs started back when she was just a little girl. Marinette was on a vacation in her grandfather’s house on the countryside of France. Her room was on the top floor, gaining her a majestic view of the farm. And everytime she woke up, there would always be a single ladybug resting on the windowsill. She thought of it as a companion that kept her safe while she was sleeping. When they got back to Paris, Marinette began a search for a ladybug of her own. Her mother even bought her a dress that had the pattern of a ladybug. She had grown out of it, though. But she wished to sew a dress that was inspired of a ladybug soon.

Marinette pushed herself up on her toes, looking for Chat. He has been gone for quite a long time now. The line to the bathroom must be very long. She wanted to roam around the building to look at the other paintings but Chat told her to wait for him at her exact spot. She wasn’t really looking forward to him scolding her.

She felt a tap on her shoulder.

Marinette turned around and saw one of the personnel. The lady’s hair was slicked back and she was wearing a black dress that ended just below her knees and a white neck cloth just as the rest of her co-workers.

“Miss? Your companion asked for you to come and see him at the receptionist’s booth,” she said.

Marinette blinked at the lady. “My companion?” she pointed a finger at her chest.

The lady nodded. “Yes, Miss. I believe that you are Mr. Chat’s companion to this event?”

_Oh._

But Chat told her to remain exactly where she was.

But what if he was really waiting for her?

“Could he not come here instead?” asked Marinette.

The lady shook her head. “I am afraid that the line is too long to abandon his place, Miss. He would have to line up again if he comes to you.”

Marinette pushed her lips to the side. Chat would without a doubt get irritated if she makes him wait. And she’d get scolded either way. But still, she was suspicious of the lady.

“All right.” She sighed. “But I have to leave right away.”

“Understood, Miss.” The lady turned on her heels and led the way.

Marinette told herself that she would run back to the Miraculous if something seemed wrong. But it was impossible for someone to attempt to harm her- or anyone –at such a public place. And the gallery’s reputation would surely be tainted if ever a scenario like that happens.

“This way, Miss.” The lady ascended on the stairs.

Marinette saw a few people coming down so she presumed that they were really heading to the receptionist. And almost all of the people the she passed on the stairs held a ticket of some sort. It must be for a painting that they’ve just purchased.

Another dapper man came out of the door at the far right who also held a ticket. They stopped in front of the door and the lady pointed at it with her whole hand.

“Your companion is inside. He is currently waiting for you.” The lady informed with a smile.

Marinette bobbed her head and turned the knob.

She hoped that Chat hadn’t been waiting for too long, or else he’d really be irritated.

“Do I still have to fall in li-”

Before Marinette could finish her sentence, she was abruptly pushed inside the room, landing on all fours. She quickly turned her head towards the door and she was met with a loud shut.

_What in the world?_

The room.

Marinette patted the floor around her, attempting to feel anything. But her palms only hit the cold marbled floor.

It didn’t feel like the receptionist was in there.

In fact, it didn’t feel like anyone was in there at all.

It was too dark.

“Chat?” she called for him.

She was answered by her own echo.

A chill shot up from her spine as the realization dawned to her.

Chat wasn’t in there.

 

~

 

Adrien removed his cufflinks and tucked his tie inside his pocket. Fortunately, the line wasn't too long. If it were, he would have contemplated if he should wait until it was his turn. And even though he was dealing with other things, his mind remained with Marinette. He wasn't sure if leaving her by herself for a while was a good idea. But Barbot's team surely wouldn't think of attacking at the gallery. It was too public.

He just hoped that she listened to his instructions.

Weaving his way through the crowd, Adrien finally gained a clear view of the Miraculous. Compared to the people that gathered around it a few minutes ago, the number seemed to have multiplied. But there was something he was missing.

A certain blue maiden.

He was sure that Marinette was standing at the middle of the space earlier. But now someone else occupied it. Perhaps she got carried away to the side. Chat excused himself from the attendees as he passed by them. Marinette would be easy to spot because of her hair color. But Chat was finding it hard to spot her.

Keeping his thoughts remain positive, Chat turned to one of the guests.

"Excuse me, Sir, have you seen a young maiden with dark blue hair and cerulean eyes standing near this painting? She is at least this tall." Chat lifted his hand just below his chin.

The man who appeared like he was in his mid-forties cocked his head and thought for a moment. "Ah, yes! She was the lady wearing a cream dress, correct? I saw her leaving with a personnel earlier. I have heard that they were headed to the receptionist's booth."

Adrien felt his knees wobble.

_No._

_Please let it not be…_

"The lady also mentioned something about her companion wanting to see her." The man remembered. "Do you happen to be that man?"

His blood ran cold.

He didn't ask for her.

The man furrowed his brows at him. "Are you all right?"

As fear began to twist in his gut, Adrien licked his bottom lip, keeping his voice still. "Thank you, good sir."

And with that, he ran as fast as lightning, cursing himself over and over again.

_Stupid._

_Stupid._

He knew that he wouldn't forgive himself if something happens to her. Just thinking of how scared she must be made his rage poison his veins furthermore. And to think that it was all his fault.

He wouldn't let Théo lay a single finger on Marinette.

Over. His dead. Body.

 

~

 

Marinette turned the knob but the door wouldn’t budge. She tried once more but it was just useless. The damn woman had locked her inside. She could barely see anything in the dark room. Based from her presumptions, she doubted that there was even a receptionist’s table. It seemed more like an empty storage room.

There were no windows or boxes. The room only had her.

But why were there people coming from this room earlier? That was the reason why she thought that Chat was really inside. Because people were coming in and out of the room. Could it be that those fake attendees were the lady’s accomplices? Were they really planning on setting up a trap?

But of all people who did they choose her?

Or perhaps they were Chat’s enemies. Then they saw her with him and plotted to steal her away. But what were they going to do with him then? What were they going to do to _her_?

Marinette shivered as a million thoughts crossed her mind.

Were they going to torture her?

Feeling bile rise to her throat, Marinette tried for the knob again and banged on the door with her fist.

“Help! Somebody!” she shouted as loud as she could.

The room was far away from the crowd but she hoped that her voice was loud enough for someone to hear. She prayed that the lady who had lead her there wouldn’t hear any of her shouts- her accomplices as well. They might only take her some place far away if they did. But she needed to get out of there. She has to escape.

And Chat…

_Chat._

He must be worried and angry. He told her to stay exactly where she was and yet she let someone trick her into this mess. Chat couldn’t blame her, though, it was really convincing. And how was she supposed to know that she was in trouble? He never told her that she was. But still, Chat seemed very concerned of her safety.

She should have been more careful.

“Help me! Please!”

Marinette’s fist was starting to ache from pounding at the door. Her voice was starting to sound hoarse. But she wasn’t going to stop until someone hears her. She glanced around the room, hoping to find any source of light. The room was clouded with darkness and fear; it would be impossible for her to find even the tiniest glint of light.

She held out her arms in front of her, waggling it around to feel for anything that she could use to escape or make sure that she wouldn’t bump into something. Her hands collided against the cold wall, making her quiver. Letting the wall guide her, Marinette walked farther, waving her other arm to the side. If only there was a bat or some sort of rod that she could try to knock the knob off from its hold.

Marinette squeaked as she bumped on a wall. She huffed in annoyance and blew on her fringe.

_That woman._

Placing her hand on the newly discovered wall, Marinette resumed walking.

Trying to roam around the room was a waste of time. She knew that she wouldn’t find anything in there. If the woman and her accomplices chose that place as a trap for her then they would surely leave nothing behind for her to use as a weapon- not even the dullest of knives.

If Alya were to hear her story, she would definitely chastise Marinette until she completely runs out of breath. Not only Alya but Chat as well. He wouldn’t only scold her but he would also pierce her with his daunting eyes.

Did he even notice that she was missing?

She had been trembling inside the room for a while now and still, she was left with nothing.

 _“I will never talk to any personnel in a gallery ever again.”_ Marinette sulked.

From then on she would tightly wrap both of her arms on Chat’s whenever they’re at a crowded place. Even if he certainly wouldn’t let her.

Marinette’s annoyance flared.

_I hate that woman._

If ever she sees her again, she would waste no time to-

“Well, what do we have here.”

Marinette screeched, almost knocking her head on the wall when a voice echoed from the other side of the room.

She could hear her heart drum all the way to her ears.

“Do you happen to be lost, sweetie?”

Marinette didn’t recognize the voice. It didn’t sound British. In fact, she recognized a hint of French accent dripping from his voice. She pressed her back against the wall, balling her fists.

“Who-Who are you? And why am I here?” Marinette demanded.

Footsteps echoed through the air.

_He was getting closer._

“He was right,” he began. “You are a ravishing young maiden, Marinette.”

She gulped, backing herself farther away. “You did not answer my question.” She snapped. “And I doubt that you can see me.”

The man chuckled. “Oh, I have seen enough of you, Marinette. I have been watching you from the moment you stepped in the building.”

She could almost hear his sly smile.

Marinette felt disgusted to her core.

“I demand you answer my question.”

“But you have asked a question that I could not answer.” He replied. “I am afraid that it would be irresponsible of me to reveal my identity to you.”

Sweat was trickling down her spine. This man was not going to give her anything but fear and a headache. All she wanted was to visit a once in a lifetime gallery and to spend a day with Chat. Never would she have thought that it would turn into a great catastrophe. She was already regretting that she peeled herself from her bed earlier.

Marinette stood taller, masking the fear in her voice. “You will get nothing from me. And do you not think it is ungentlemanly of you to keep a lady locked up in a place like this? Have you not heard of well-bred manners?”

There was a step.

And another.

Step.

Step.

“You are right.” He agreed. “It is rude of me to keep you like this. Though I do not approve of this myself, I have no choice but to do as I was told.”

A hand wrapped around her wrist, abruptly pulling her forward. A scream was caught in her throat as the man turned her around, gripping her hand between her back and his chest while he held the other on her stomach.

Marinette shuddered as she felt his breath near her ear.

“I am not going to hurt you, Marinette.”

She writhed against his hold. “You are already hurting me. Let me go!”

He held her wrists tighter. It seemed like he was trying to put something inside her hand but she was too distracted with what he was saying for her to even divert her attention to it.

“He is not coming for you.” He said. Marinette felt his lips brush against her cheek. “Come with me instead.” He whispered.

Fear and disgust clawed through her. If only she could see him, she would make sure to land a punch on his face right then and there. Some men could be such awful beasts.

And how dare he lie?

Chat was going to come for her.

He will.

“Jerk.” She spat.

Having enough of the nonsense, Marinette swerved around, catching the man off guard. Not wasting single second, she hastily brought her knee up, landing it on his precious manhood.

The man let go of her as he crouched down and cried in pain.

Marinette broke free, opened her mouth and shouted at the very top of her lungs,

“CHAT!”

 

~

 

Adrien drove his heel just below the knob, kicking the door open. He would know that voice anywhere. And he would know how Marinette’s voice would sound like if she were in danger.

Gaining a sight inside the poorly lit room, Marinette’s captor immediately brushed past her and limply escaped on the door at the far right. Marinette let out a cry as her knees hit the floor.

Adrien rushed to her, wrapping his arms around her. The blasted man had already fleeted the building. It made him sick to his stomach to think that one of Théo’s rats have been watching and listening to Marinette in a small excess room. He must’ve used the window in his hiding place as an escape route.

He cupped her cheeks, checking if she was hurt. His chest ached when he saw how flushed she was. Fear was still eminent in her glossy eyes and her whole body was shaking. Adrien could tell that she was trying so hard not to cry.

Marinette’s breath caught, almost resembling hiccup. “I am okay.”

Adrien pulled her in his arms, hugging her tightly. Marinette’s fingers clawed on his shirt and buried her face on the crook of his neck, finally letting a few hot tears escape from her eyes.

If anyone had been foolish, it was him. He shouldn’t have left her alone. He shouldn’t have been too caught up in the moment and reminded himself that he was on a mission. He should have reminded himself that he was a spy and not a boy in a gallery with a beautiful girl.

Adrien closed his eyes and kissed the top of Marinette’s head.

“Please forgive me.” He whispered, hoarsely.

If he had not arrived sooner, Marinette would have been gone by now. He would never forgive himself if that happens. Marinette didn’t deserve any of this. She didn’t deserve to be treated like a porcelain doll for trade.

_This is all my fault._

Marinette pulled away from him. She looked up at him with her kind blue eyes. She held his face in her hands. “You did not do anything wrong.”

Adrien turned his face away, avoiding her gaze. “I left you vulnerable. You have every right to despise me.”

Though he wouldn’t like it, Adrien knew that he was worthy of it. It would desolate him, of course. But he couldn’t stand getting her in danger anymore. He didn’t even know why she was the first person he thought of when he read the last letter he’s received. Perhaps it was because out of all the girls, she was the closest to him.

“I do not despise you, Chaton, I never will.” Marinette’s voice was sincere.

Adrien felt his chest tighten as he heard her nickname for him. He ignored it all the same. He shouldn’t get himself too attached. He _wouldn’t_ let it happen.

Still looking away from her, he asked, “Did he do anything?”

Marinette shook her head. “Apart from gripping my wrists to keep me in place, he kept his distance. He said that he would not hurt me.”

Adrien saw red.

_That imbecile._

He took her hands in his, examining her wrists. As soon as Adrien saw the dark tints of red, rage crept back in his veins. So much for saying that he wasn’t going to hurt her.

Marinette squeezed his hand. “Chat, I am really fine. I still feel a bit stricken, that’s all.” She reassured. “Do not worry too much, okay?” she gave him a warm smile.

Adrien stared at her with pure respect. If there was anything he realized today it was that between the two of them, even though it didn’t seem like it at first glance, Adrien knew that Marinette was stronger than him. It might not be in the physical defense aspects but on other things, Marinette held the bar higher. Adrien would easily break at moments like this. Even if he would appear as though it didn’t affect him too much but in truth, he was crumbling inside, bottling up all of his remorse and causing him to exert it unto somebody.

Marinette on the other hand, always managed to look on the bright side of things and prevents it from altering her. She doesn’t let her woes impact someone else. She’d rather pretend to be happy than let anyone worry because of her. It dawned to him that Marinette had the habit of being selfless.

Just like his mother.

Marinette fumbled on a crumpled paper on her skirt.

“What is that?” Chat eyed it.

Marinette handed it to him. “I felt the man slipping it inside my hand. He did not tell me what it was.”

Chat unfolded the paper and straightened it with his fingers.

 

_Let your eyes wander somewhere else._

_It might just discover the answers you seek._

_Let your mind be filled with someone else._

_Do not think of such woman that can make you weak._

_-P_

It was the longest message he had ever gotten from P. And it was also the most confusing. It could mean a thousand things and Adrien would only know half of it. Nino told him that most of the time, it was as though they were running in this mission with one of their eyes closed. Adrien could finally see that it was true.

“Chat? What did it say?” Marinette asked.

He placed the note inside his pocket, helping her up. “It is nothing that you should worry about.”

Marinette held his arm, stopping him from walking to the door. “Are you okay?”

Adrien looked at her, having a full sight of her adorable freckles. It has now been one of the things that he loved looking at. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“So long as you are all right,” he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Marinette blinked at him, her cheeks getting redder.

“I will report this incident to the organizer but for the time being,” Adrien slipped his hand in hers. “Do not let go of my hand until we have reached home, understand?”

Marinette nodded, vigorously.

Adrien let out a hearty chuckle. “Let us go then.”

They made their way out of the room and walked down the stairs as if nothing had just happened. Marinette was doing better than he expected- she might even be doing better than him.

“Have I mentioned that I kicked him?” Marinette said out of the blue.

“Where?”

“His groin,” she said too proudly.

Chat choked on his spit. “ _What_?”

Marinette had a satisfied look on her face. “I have to defend myself in some way. It was the first option that I thought of and as I expected, it worked just fine. Perfectly, even.”

Chat continued to blink at her. He just couldn’t imagine sweet and innocent Marinette kicking a man straight in his groin. _Never_ in his wildest dreams.

Marinette slipped him a sly look. “I am not entirely a damsel in distress, Chat. I can save myself, too. Only if you wait long enough to let me rescue my clumsy self, you will see that it is not me who needs the rescuing.”

Chat was in awe of her. Everything that she said, it was right. He had been treating her as if she was a porcelain doll that would break even with the slightest of touch. Marinette was capable of doing more than he predicted she could. He just didn’t let her because he was too afraid of risking the possibilities of her getting hurt. He forgot that it was inevitable. She just had to learn from it.

And maybe it really wasn’t her who needs the rescuing.

Perhaps it was Chat himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all liked this chapter! :) OwO
> 
> *virtual hugs* :*


	17. Desires and Misfires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Miss Marinette prepared herself for the possible heartache she may get.

Marinette glanced at the door as it opened once again. Hoping to see a familiar face, she was left dejected as she saw that it was only one of the butlers. She heaved out a heavy sigh, stirring the already cold tea in her ceramic cup. A week has passed since the last time she saw Chat. He had disappeared right after the incident in the gallery. Niño has been absent, too. Marinette wondered if it had something to do with what had happened to her.

She hoped for him to come back soon. She hadn’t really thanked him properly for saving her. Chat asked her to keep mum about the occurrence. Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant knew about it, too, Chat told them himself. But Marinette hasn’t told a single thing the girls. Alya would definitely be beyond furious.

Chat didn’t seem mad at her while they were on their way back to the mansion. He was rather meek. After they’ve left the gallery he continued to hold her hand while they were in the coach. He did not let go of it until they’ve set foot inside the mansion. Marinette was a bit disappointed when she felt his hand no longer enveloping hers. She would gladly hold hands with him throughout the day. But Chat had to rest, too. And he did imply that he had to talk to Niño at once.

Rose emerged from the garden, walking into the room as she hummed. Marinette had been wanting to ask her about Chat and Niño but she didn’t want to sound too persistent. But it felt like she couldn’t go on a day without knowing about their whereabouts any longer.

Marinette placed her tea down the small side table and approached Rose. “Rose!” she waved at her.

“Good afternoon, Mari.” Rose smiled, stopping on her tracks. “Is something the matter?”

Marinette fiddled with her fingers, rocking on her heels back on forth. “I wanted to know about…about if, if you know the-“

Rose giggled. “If I know anything about Monsieur Chat and Niño?”

Her eyes widened. She had been too obvious after all.

Marinette nodded her head, shyly.

“Very well then,” Rose took her hand, guiding her towards one of the parlours. “Let us talk here.”

They sat down on the plush velvet couch. Rose smoothed her skirt and hair before turning back to Marinette.

“Father mentioned something about their uncle wanting to talk to them.” Rose began. “He did not tell me the reason behind it but it seemed very serious.”

Marinette squirmed. She knew that she might be the sole reason why their uncle wished to talk to them. She just hoped that Chat or neither of them would be in trouble because of her recklessness. She had scolded herself for being too gullible over and over again ever since she came home from the gallery.

“Did he tell you when they are coming back?”

Rose shook her head. “Father only said that they would be gone for awhile. That is why if you have not noticed, he rarely lets us step out of the mansion for the past days.” Rose sighed, leaning back. “I hope that the Monsieurs would be back soon. And I hope that once they do, it would not be because they have the pack up their things and bid farewell.”

Marinette’s heart sank.

_I hope so too._

“Marinette, do you have feelings for Monsieur Chat?”

Marinette recoiled at Rose’s question. She blinked at her, surprise etched on her face.

She gulped. “What makes you say that?”

Rose giggled, taking Marinette’s hands. “I see the way you look at him, Mari. And Alya has been telling me stories, too.”

Marinette muffled a grumble, pursing her lips. She would have to talk to Alya as soon as she could.

“But there is no need to be sulky about that now,” said Rose. “Anyone would know that you are in love with him.”

Marinette flinched again, involuntarily pulling her hands off from Rose’s hold. “What? Why-It is-No! It is not that.”

_Is it?_

Rose gave her a pitiful smile. “Marinette, please do not lie to yourself.”

She hugged her sides, keeping herself from dawning on the fact that Chat still hasn’t come back.

“It is not that,” she hung her head. “I am just not used to…feeling like this. Being in love,” she confessed. “It feels wonderful and terrifying at the same time. Sometimes it even seems as though my heart is going to explode. And I did not know that I was already falling in love before I could even stop myself from doing so.” Marinette let out a weak chuckle. “I do not even know if he feels the same way. Even for just a little bit.”

Thinking of how Chat may not reciprocate his feelings made Marinette’s heart clench. She had no idea if he has any tinge of affection for her. Chat had always been very hard to read. Who knows, he might actually like Chloé and was only hiding his true adoration through saying that he disliked her. Marinette didn’t know what she would do if ever that was the case. But she knew that it would hurt.

“Well, you will never know not unless you do something that would make you acquire that knowledge, correct?” Rose took Marinette’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “All it takes is courage, Mari.”

Marinette let out an anguished breath. “But what if he does not feel the same way? What do I do then?”

“You have to be strong and accept it. There is no need for you to waste your time and affection for someone who refuses to have it,” said Rose. “Think of it as healthy criticism, if you may. If things do not go the way you want them to, is there any other way but to accept it and move on? You have done your part in risking your heart to the possibility of it being shattered by the one you love. By that point, you would think that you have been hurt enough. Normally, you would let it be and never look back.”

Marinette’s shoulders hunched. Would that happen to her? Could she simply accept it and manage to never think of it ever again? Could she completely forget about Chat?

“But not all people are like that, I suppose.” Rose continued. “Some has great patience. They would wait until the person they love loves them back. They appreciate even the slightest affirmation love, and that would fuel up their hopes and make them want to strive harder. I adore those kind of people to be honest. They fear that they would be rejected at any time but still they do not give up. I believe that it is because they would rather be rejected because of trying than be rejected for not trying at all. It has a great difference. You will never know what is to happen after you try for even just a little bit. The outcome might be what you want, perhaps even more.”

Marinette took in all of Rose’s words. She didn’t know where it came from or what had caused it but she was thankful. She still wasn’t fully knowledgeable about it but at least she knew enough. She knew enough to keep herself from getting hurt.

“Rose, do you think if I…” Marinette trailed off, contemplating if she should tell her. Settling her nerves, she said, “Do you think if I tell him about my feelings now, it would hurt much less if he rejects me? I do not want it to come to the point where he refuses my affection when it is much bigger than it is now. I do not think I could take it.”

Just imagining how it would turn out made her want to put a stop to the continuous growth of her adoration for him. But Marinette knew that it was far from possible. She was all too late. But she also didn’t want to be broken just because of a simple heartache. She knew that she was capable of enduring so much more.

“It must be really hard for you, is it not? Always know that whatever happens, I will be here for you, as well as Juleka and Alya. Confessing to him might hurt you but it would be a start of taking that leap of faith. If you really wish to know where his feelings for you stand then I suggest you go forth with it. But if not, then, I guess you could stop it or just let it silently grow in the shadows.”

Marinette furrowed her brows. “Would that not make me a masochist?”

Rose laughed. “Yes, I suppose it would.”

Marinette deeply sighed. “But I do not want to be a coward, Rose. I want to face him and tell him about what I feel regardless of what he may think. Even if he would refuse it, at least I got to tell him.” Marinette lowered her voice, “At least I tried.”

“Oh, Mari,” Rose cooed. “If I were in your shoes I would have cried just from talking about it. Listening to you makes me want to be as determined and as strong as you are if ever I am to be caught up in a situation like this.”

Marinette took a deep breath and briefly closed her eyes. “I just,” she paused, letting the words dawn into her. “I just do not want it to affect me too much.”

Rose rubbed her back, reassuringly. “You will get through this, Mari. I know you will.”

Marinette put on a brave face and crossed her arms. “It is just a silly cat, what harm could it possibly cause?” she joked.

Rose giggled. “I almost forgot that his name literally means cat.”

The sound of the doors opening brought their giggles to a halt. Rose gasped as Chat and Niño walked inside. It was the first time that Marinette saw Niño without his glasses. He was using the ends of his shirt to wipe it clean.

Marinette’s heart leapt to her throat.

Chat ran his free hand through his hair. His black coat was draped on his other arm and the first two buttons of his shirt was unbuttoned, and his shirt was loosely tucked. Marinette could even make up a five o’clock shadow adorning his face. It was unlike him to look unkempt. The past days must have been really stressful for the both of them. She wanted to ask how their meeting with their uncle went but it was evident that they were too exhausted to converse with anyone.

“Marinette,” Rose clamped her fingers on Marinette’s arm. “There is Chat! Go on and talk to him!” Rose whispered.

Marinette nibbled on her lip and watched as Chat made his way upstairs. He barely even noticed them.

“I think now is not the right time, Rose. I would have to do it some other day.” Marinette said rather dejectedly.

Once she had the chance to talk to him, she promised herself that she would get straight to the point. She wouldn’t let it drag for too long, she knew that it would only make things worse. Marinette knew that better than anyone.

 

~

 

Morning and afternoon had already passed but Marinette’s wish was still unsuccessful. Chat was too busy and she didn’t even get to say a single word to him and neither did the others. He and Niño have been staying inside Mr. Lavillant’s office ever since the day started. Marinette wondered when their meeting would end.

She had been practicing the words that she was going to say to him- although she was certain that she would only forget it once she finally gets to talk to him. Still, Marinette wanted to try. It was not the time for her to get tangled up in her sentences. She wanted to deliver her thoughts as clear and quick as possible. Her conversation with Rose yesterday had really helped her. It opened up her eyes to a whole lot of possibilities. Marinette figured that she should come clean instead of shackling herself onto her jumble of emotions furthermore. If Chat refuses, just like Rose said, Marinette would accept it. She would let go of her affections and proceed to move on.

That was what she was going to do.

She had to.

The sun had completely been cloaked by the radiance of the moon and stars began to scatter around the dark canvas of the sky. Another day had passed and Marinette still hadn’t talked to him. Perhaps it still wasn’t the right time.

Deciding to talk to Rose, Marinette headed for her friend’s room. She wasn’t really looking forward to have another dose of Alya’s scolding. And she hadn’t told Alya about her decision yet.

Marinette stopped dead on her tracks as she saw Chat descend from the staircase at the end of the hall. He took off his tie and rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. Based from his posture, Marinette could tell that it had been a very long meeting. She barely even saw him all day, after all.

Chat looked up and saw her standing just a few inches away from him. He paused for a moment and acknowledged her with a single  bow before continuing his walk.

Marinette balled her fists, fighting the urge of calling his name.

She wanted him to rest.

Really, she did.

But she just couldn’t take it anymore. She had to tell him.

Marinette wasn’t selfish.

But didn’t she deserve to be selfish even just for once?

“Chat,”

His name had slipped past her lips before she even knew it.

Marinette shut down all of her negative thoughts as she faced him. “Do you mind accompanying me for a stroll?”

Chat blinked at her and then stared.

Marinette felt her chest drumming from the anticipation. She had no idea of what he was thinking. She had no clue of what he may say. Who knows? He might just simply reject her offer.

But she was going to prepare herself for it.

_I am strong._

_I can do this._

_How painful could it possibly be?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thump thump
> 
> *Thank you for continuing to read this story! :) :*


	18. Heart Pour and Disclosure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which even summaries fail to connect words and sentences relating to the occurrence.

Chat rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. “All right then.”

Marinette let out a relieved breath through her nose.

_Thank the heavens._

“I do need a bit of fresh air,” Chat buried his hands in his pockets. “Where do you suggest we go?”

Marinette brushed her fringe to the side, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I was thinking the park, perhaps.”

Chat nodded. “Very well,” he walked towards Marinette and extended his hand.

Marinette stared at his open hand.

Did he want her to…?

“Is that necessary?”

Chat stared. “I cannot risk getting you in danger again,” he said and took her hand.

Marinette fought against her blush as he pulled on her hand. “I am certain that you will not let that happen.”

As she stared up her ceiling the night when the incident happened, Marinette felt breathless and her chest felt so heavy. It dawned to her that she had fallen in love with him even more so. Seeing the look on his face when they found each other was something she would never want to forget. It almost seemed as though he thought he had lost her. It was as if he lost someone dear to him.

She told herself that she would stop feeding her mind with things that may not be true as it would only give her false hopes. But at that moment, her imaginations felt too true. That was the only time where Marinette saw Chat with his walls completely down. His emotions poured out of him and she swore she felt it transport to her. Chat couldn’t even keep his eyes on her as he spoke. And he told her that she had every right to despise him. Marinette couldn’t believe that Chat would be much affected because of that event. She wondered, what more if it had happened to his family?

Chat dropped her hand and paused as they reached the park. “Where do you want to sit?”

Marinette’s hand felt instantly cold. She hoped that he held it longer.

Her eyes found the three mini towers at the center of the park. Each of the towers had a dark blue slide attached to it; the one in the middle resembled more of a tube while the other two didn’t. The towers were also connected with small tubes that served as tunnels for the children to crawl into to get to the other side.

“Let us go there.” Marinette pointed at the towers.

They walked in silence. Chat helped her walk up the stairs- always the gentleman -as Marinette lifted the front of her skirt a few inches from the steps. They couldn’t see much in the park except for stable rides that were made for children and the ever-present green trees. But the air did feel relaxing- a tiny bit.

She gripped on the steel bar, stilling her drumming chest. Chat was leaning against his forearms that were propped on the rail. His hair swooshed back as a wisp of cold air hit their direction. Marinette could feel that he was starting to grow much comfortable than he was awhile ago- she on the other hand, felt the exact opposite. She wanted to enjoy the view and the awkward yet easing silence that was surrounding them, but try as she may, she couldn’t drown out the nagging thoughts in her mind.

One part of her wanted to talk to him about what she came there for but the other pleaded for her to shut her mouth and keep quiet. But as she told Rose, she didn’t want to be a coward. And it was better if she could just say it out loud once and for all and as early as possible. In that way, it wouldn’t be too much of a pain.

“How have you been?”

Marinette was shocked of his sudden query. She could let it stretch for a little bit more.

_Just a little bit more._

“Good,” she breathed out. “You?”

Chat twisted the ring on his finger. “Quite all right. Though I have to admit that it had been a very stressful week, thus resulting to me and Niño disappearing out of the blue. We have yet to identify the man who has attacked you, but we presume that he is one of our lead’s accomplices.”

Marinette felt disgust starting to bubble from the pit of her stomach. She never wanted to see or hear of that man ever again. That man who had dared to ask her to come with him to God knows where.

“Have you told the others?”

Marinette shook her head. “I have not. And I choose to keep it to myself.”

“My…uncle, he wants to apologize as well.”

Marinette titled her head at him. “What for?”

Chat deeply sighed. “Rose’s incident was enough. We did not expect that they were planning to have an attack that was a dire as that. He said that he might consider adding a few more escorts in the mansion.”

Marinette had been meaning to ask, but she didn’t know if she was allowed to. But after all that happened, she concluded that she had the right to know.

“Why are we being attacked?” her voice didn’t waver. “Is somebody threatening Mr. Jermaine’s family?”

Marinette saw Chat still for a moment.

Chat kept his tone calm. “I do not know.”

“Of course you know.” Marinette furrowed her brows at him. “Why would you not? You knew that Rose was in danger and I am fairly certain that you were aware that something was going to happen to me too. That was why you insisted that you should be wherever I go.”

Marinette knew that Chat was still hiding something from her- from them. She didn’t know if it was for the better or if the knowledge wouldn’t benefit them in any way. But if he’d allow her, she’d really want to know.

Chat’s jaw clenched. “I do not want to talk about it.”

Marinette’s shoulders dropped. “Why not?”

Chat heaved in a breath. He appeared like he was losing his patience but was trying hard to keep it all in. “Because it was all I have to hear and endure every single day for the past week,” he said. “Do you think it is easy for me to hide everything I know? Believe me, Marinette, I want to tell you but I am forced not to. I want to protect you but you are possibly not the only one in danger. And I do not want to hide anything more from you for you deserve to know but I have to.”

Marinette blinked at him, surprised of his sudden outburst. Chat didn’t usually break. He was excellent at hiding his emotions. He had always been stoic after all. What had happened during the past week must have really been hard for him and Niño.

Chat screwed his eyes shut. “You can hate me all you want but I am not going to tell you anything.”

Marinette pursed her lips. They had been through this before.

“Chat, I do not hate you,” she said, softly.

_I like you._

Marinette bit her tongue, preventing the words to flow past her throat.

_Just a little bit more._

Chat let out a breath, “It would be easier if you would hate me instead,” he mumbled.

Marinette didn’t really catch his words. Her ears were consumed by her thunderous heartbeats. “What was that?”

Chat shook his head. “I have noticed that you have been quite nervous tonight.” Chat turned to face her. “Why is that?”

Marinette turned scarlet. She planned to do it on their way home if possible but now that Chat had brought it up, she contemplated if she should go forth with it or not.

Chat took a step towards her, his expression etched with worry. “What is wrong, Marinette?”

Marinette felt her hand run cold. Her knees were beginning to shake and all the sentences that she had practiced earlier had gone into a complete blur. Her mind was now filled with nothing but his name and nerves thundered through her. It felt as if her heart leapt all the way to her throat. She had been anticipating for this all day but now that she finally got the chance, why couldn’t she say a single word to him? Why did it turn out to be so hard?

Chat got closer. “Marinette?”

Why did it feel like it was going to hurt so much either way?

“Chat, I,” she began.

Her heart wouldn’t stay still. It was beating too fast and Marinette almost hated it. She just wanted to get it over and done with but why couldn’t she?

She hung her head, focusing her gaze on the ground. “I have to tell you something,” her voice sounded too small.

“Go on.” Said Chat.

Marinette took a deep, staggered breath, squeezing her eyes shut.

Should she say it?

Was it really worth it?

Was it worth the risk?

_Just say it._

_Just say it, Marinette._

“I am falling in love with you.”

There it was.

Her heart laid bare for him to accept or break.

She didn’t dare look up at him. She wanted to see his expression but at the same time, she felt terrified to witness it.

Rapid heartbeats had passed but Chat still hasn’t said anything.

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

_Four._

“You…” Chat started.

Marinette’s chest pounded.

“Cannot.”

Marinette’s eyes shot up to his. Her chest was starting to constrict. “Why not?”

Chat wasn’t looking at her. He looked anywhere but at her.

_Look at me._

He seemed to be having a hard time, too. But it wasn’t for the reason that Marinette wanted.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “It is complicated.”

“Tell me. I will understand.” Marinette stepped towards him but Chat took a step back.

“You won’t.” There was an edge in his voice.

Marinette didn’t understand why Chat appeared quite angry. Her throat was beginning to tighten but she didn’t want to back away yet. She still had so much more to say.

“I will! Trust me. Please.”

“I cannot let that happen.”

“Why not?” Her voice was starting to grow hoarse. Her head ached because of forcing herself not to cry. But Marinette told herself that she could hang on just a little bit longer.

_A little bit more, Marinette._

Chat gnashed his teeth, keeping his distance from her. She didn’t know why he was holding back, or why he wanted her to block her feelings for him. She didn’t understand why he was being so selfish.

Taking another tentative step, Marinette said, “Chat, why?”

He backed away. “Stop.”

Marinette shook her head. “No.” Her vision was starting to blur. “You told me not to think so little of myself, have you not? And you have always told me to be brave.” Marinette swallowed the lump on her throat. “That is why I am telling you that I am in love with you!” Marinette balled her fists, forcing the pain to go away, “And I do not understand why you are stopping me. I want to be honest with myself, Chat. I cannot go on pretending that I feel nothing for you.”

Marinette breathed heavily, feeling her eyes sting. She was trying so hard. _So hard._ She just wanted it to end. She hated feeling as though she was being torn into pieces. She hated looking like this in front of him.

Counting the seconds that passed, Marinette waited for his reply.

“Chat…” she whispered. “Why?”

She waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And-

“Because I do not want to fall in love with you.”

-waited.

Marinette felt her world come to a complete stop. It felt like a knife had stabbed through her heart. Her vision clouded over as sorrow closed up her throat.

_I do not want to fall in love with you…_

A gasp escaped her lips. Marinette clamped a hand down her mouth while she grasped the bar with the other. Every single muscle in her body ached. She felt as if she was going to melt into a puddle of misery right before him. Her knees were shaking and all she wanted to do was to curl into a ball and muffle her cries.

_I do not_ _want to fall in love with you…_

“Why?” she hiccupped. “Why can you not?” Marinette’s throat thickened with sobs.

She knew that she shouldn’t have asked. She knew that it was a bad idea and would cause her nothing but pain. She hated how tenacious she was being. But still, Marinette hoped that his reply wouldn’t cause her too much affliction.

“Marinette,” Chat’s response sounded weak and curt at the same time. She almost couldn’t see him clearly anymore because of her tears.

“Why?” Marinette sniffled.

Three loud heartbeats passed.

Four.

Five.

Six.

“Just tell me why…” Marinette didn’t even know if he understood what she was saying because her words were mixing up with her sobs. She was really looking forward to this night. Now she wished that it hadn’t happed at all.

“I,” Chat hesitated. He turned his head to the side, a shadow of distress crossed his features. Finally, he closed his eyes and his lips part,

“I do not want to love you,” he said.

“I never did,” he concluded.

Her knees began to shake.

It wasn’t that he could not love her…he _did not_ want to love her. It was his choice. His own decision.

He never felt anything for her.

Marinette’s cries grew louder. She couldn’t take it anymore. It hurt. It hurt too much. Marinette took her shaking hand off the bar and clutched the fabric above her chest. _It hurt._ She never thought that it was going to be as painful as this. Her heart felt too heavy, she was breaking apart and he was just standing in front of her.

_He doesn’t want to fall in love with me._

Marinette choked on her sobs as the words began to carve themselves in her brain and heart. She knew that it was going to happen. She knew that he was going to hurt her but she didn’t expect it to be this much. He was killing her because of this heartache. It seemed as though she was being ripped apart, like her heart was thrown in the middle of the street and was repeatedly being stepped over.

“Marinette…” Chat got closer, attempting to hold her.

Marinette covered her tearstained face with her hands, shaking her head. “No. Please. Do not look at me like that. It already hurts too much,” she sobbed.

She felt Chat’s hands on her shoulders. “Marinette, please-”

“No!” she cried, prying herself away from him. “Let me go.” She pounded on his chest with her fists. “Let me go…” she whimpered.

“I am so sorry.” Chat hugged her tighter but Marinette fought back.

“Please do not do this to me. Stop making me fall in love with you even more.” She wept. She was crumbling inside. This was too much. All too much. Marinette hiccupped. “Stop hurting me, Chat.” She whispered, weakly pushing against his chest. “Stop breaking my heart.”

Chat’s hold of her loosened. Marinette pushed herself away from him, wiping her eyes with the heels of her hand as she does.

She couldn’t raise her eyes to meet his. She wanted to see him…she wanted to look at him. She wanted to tell him that she loved him once more but…she was done hurting herself.

She has had enough.

Taking a few deep breaths, Marinette kept her eyes downcast.

“Th-Thank you,” she managed to say. She wanted to say so much more…

_Just end it, Marinette._

Marinette licked her salty lips. A painful sound escaped her mouth as she opened it again. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to hear his voice but she knew that it would only hurt her. Regardless of what he may say, she couldn’t risk her heart getting shattered furthermore.

“Thank you for listening,” she hiccupped.

Feeling fresh new tears stream down her face, Marinette said with pain dripping on her voice, “Goodbye, Chaton.”

She sprinted away from him, letting herself be engulfed by the shattering heartache and her suffocating sobs.

_Why?_

_Why did it have to come to this?_

Marinette was trying to suppress her loud wails but she couldn’t. She did this to herself. She let herself endure this pain. She didn’t know if her tears could ever run out. She thought it would, but she does know that it may take a long while.

Marinette covered her mouth with both of her hands to muffle her echoing sobs.

_Why?_

_Why do I still love you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nino & Alya saw it coming.
> 
> *I really had a hard time writing and revising this chapter- because it hurt.*
> 
> Thank you very much for supporting this story. :) And I'm verry sorry. :* 
> 
> Fun fact: I wrote this chapter all the way back in Christmas eve and Christmas day. I revised it on the last afternoon of 2016 and first day of 2017. Thus, I was pretty sulky by the end of Christmas ToT.


	19. Rage and Alleviate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mr. Agreste begins to restate certain thoughts and emotions towards a fair maiden.

_“I am falling in love with you.”_

_“I am falling in love with you.”_

_“I am falling in love with you.”_

Adrien punched the wall as Marinette’s face flashed in his head. He sat back down on his chair, running both of his hands through his disheveled hair. His hand ached. But he didn’t give a damn about that. He propped his head with his hands, his elbows rested against his thighs.

“She is in love with me,” Adrien said to himself.

“She is in love with me,” he said once more.

He clenched his jaw, remembering the words she had said to him three days ago.

“And I fucking broke her heart.” Adrien sent another set of files flying across the room as he wiped the table clean with his hands and arms.

He hurt her.

He was a jerk.

A complete and utter idiotic jerk.

_“Goodbye, Chaton.”_

Adrien kicked his foot on the table stand, making the thin wood crack.

“Idiot.” He snarled. He kicked the stand with much force, making one side of the table flop down the floor as the wood broke in two.

“Woah, woah!” Nino rushed inside their office, his mouth hanging open. “What in the world is wrong with you, Agreste?!” he exclaimed, shutting the door behind him. “First you broke my table now you shattered yours? Are you a beast of some sort? Do not tell me that you are planning on breaking everything in this goddamn office because I am _not_ paying for this.” Nino scowled. “Get your arse together, Adrien!” Nino scolded.

Adrien grunted rubbing his temples as it throbbed with rage. “Stop yelling,” he seethed.

“I will only stop yelling once you stop breaking every single fucking thing that you get your hands on!” Nino shouted. He shifted on his foot, taking his glasses off. “Look, I have no idea of why you are being such a pain right now but it would really help if you would stop acting like a madman on the loose!”

Adrien’s blood boiled. “I just need to be alone right now, Nino.”

Nino rolled his eyes. “Ah, right, like you have not been alone for God knows how long,” he deadpanned. “Seriously, Agreste, what in the world is wrong with you? I have never seen you this mad ever since…” Nino trailed off, trying to recall, “Well, since all of our leads regarding the group that had threatened your family disappeared in blink of an eye years ago.” Nino took his chair and wheeled it in front of Adrien. “As far as I know you broke at least three tables and two chairs at that time.” Nino chuckled. “I could not even get near you.”

Adrien began to slowly simper down. There was no point in taking his anger out through ransacking their office. If Sinclair saw this, he would be in much rage. It wasn’t their permanent quarters and yet Adrien already broke two tables.

“Hey,” Nino said in a much calm tone. “What is wrong? You know that you can tell me anything, right?”

Adrien looked away, popping the bones in his fingers. He still wasn’t comfortable in talking about it. He didn’t think he ever would be. Just thinking back to the event made his head swirl. Marinette pushing him away made it even harder. What struck him the most was when she told him- pleaded even –for him to stop breaking her heart. He didn’t even know that she was in love with him prior to that.

“What could have caused it, Nino?” Adrien asked rather desperately, his eyes lingering on the cat pawed notebook that Marinette had chosen for him herself.

Nino titled his head. “What are you talking about?”

Adrien took a deep breath and heaved it out, heavily. “Marinette,” saying her name made another wave of ache rush to his head. He picked up the notebook from the broken table, running his fingers across the engraved paw.

“What made her fall for me?”

Nino elicited a long groan, twirling in his chair a couple of times before catching the shattered table stand with his foot and stops from spinning. “I knew it,” he said, almost wincing. “I knew it. I _knew_ it.” Nino hung his head backwards, pressing his fingers to his eyes as he rubbed it. “Tell me one thing, Adrien, did you or did you not break her heart?”

Adrien swallowed. He broke her heart from the moment he opened his mouth. He had been breaking her heart all this time without him even knowing. Why in the world did she fall for him? Why did it have to be him? She deserved so much more.

Adrien sighed. “Let us just say that she might not want to hear of me ever again.”

Nino grumbled, wearing his glasses again. He rested his hand against his knee while the other pointed an accusing finger at Adrien. “You…You can be plain stupid sometimes, can you? I have warned you, Adrien. Have I not told you about not getting yourself too worked up in this mission? And if my mind serves me not, I have also advised you to be mindful of your surroundings.”

Adrien thought back to his conversation with Nino that felt like eons ago. There was something Nino said that really shook him.

_“Do not get too worked up in this mission. You might hurt her in the end.”_

Adrien’s heart skipped a beat. How could have Nino predicted what was going to happen?

He faced Nino. “You knew that she had feelings for me, didn't you?”

Nino folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, I knew, Agreste. You know why? Because it was pretty bloody obvious!” he sent a thick folder flying towards Adrien. Adrien blocked the folder with his arms, sending the papers inside scatter around him.

“Now _you_ are the one who is wrecking everything,” he glowered.

Nino laughed once out of humor. “Your stupidity caused it. And how could you possibly not know about it? _Everyone_ knew. And when I say everyone, I meant _everyone._ ” Nino stressed. “The maids knew, the butlers knew, Alya knew, of course,” he added. “Even the freaking squirrels in the garden knew about it, Adrien!”

Adrien muffled his groan. He thought about it sometimes. He questioned himself if it was possible that Marinette harbored feelings for him, or if she was staring to feel something that was more than friendship; or if he was doing things that might give her the wrong impression. Turns out all of those were true. He might have been knowledgeable about it if he hadn’t been too oblivious. Adrien knew that he purposely ignored these things. It was his fault. He thought that if he disregarded it, it might go away. But it wasn’t supposed to. He knew that it wasn’t just going to simply go away.

Adrien leaned back on his chair, deep in thought. “Why could she have fallen for me?”

Nino stared at him, blankly. “Are you serious?” he cleared his throat and began checking things off in the air. “Smart? Check. Kind? Check. Thoughtful, obedient and independent? Triple check. Charismatic, mysterious, reserved and a tad bit optimistic at times? Check, check, check, and _check_ ,” he finished off with a large check mark in the air. “And this might be trivial but have I mentioned that you are awfully handsome? Much to my dismay,” he added.

Adrien chuckled rather weakly.

“I was just trying to lift up the mood,” said Nino and sat back down on his seat. “Now that you have been enlightened by my reply, may you now tell me what happened between the two of you?”

Adrien tensed. Remembering Marinette’s words would do him no good. In fact, it was all he has been thinking ever since he heard of it. And everytime it had only grown harder to forget about it.

“She told me that she is in love with me,” hearing the words with his own voice made him want to rush out of their quarters and apologize to Marinette. He didn’t even want to think of how could she have felt after their conversation. He let her walk back to the mansion all alone. He should have followed her. He shouldn’t have just stood there as if he was a stupid statue.

Adrien clenched his fists in agitation.

Nino crossed his legs. “What did you tell her?”

Adrien cringed at what he was about to say. “I told her that I don not want to fall in love with her.”

His head shot up when he heard something crack. He grimaced as he saw the pencil that was now split in half in Nino’s hands.

“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid,” said Nino.

Adrien breathed out, running a hand through his hair. “Hey, hear me out, all right? I have never been in this situation. I have no idea of what I was supposed to say.”

“Something that would not sound too harsh.” Nino deadpanned.

Adrien sighed. “It was my mistake. I know.”

“What happened next?”

His body suddenly felt leaden. He couldn’t wipe her face off of his mind. “She…cried.” Adrien squirmed when he remembered the thing she had told him. “And said things that was fueled by her pain.”

Nino hummed, tapping a finger to his chin. “What did you feel?”

Adrien opened his mouth to reply but shut it when he felt a suspicious clench somewhere in his chest. Surprisingly…it affected him more than he thought. He thought that if he’d end it at once, her feelings would stop. He thought that if he’d stop her, tell her that falling for him wouldn’t be worth it, make her feel that he didn’t deserve her, she would realize that falling for him would be a waste of time. But never had he thought that his own words would break her heart. Guilt flooded through him all over again. How could he have hurt her? Sweet and kind Marinette. He wondered when he would be able to see her smile again. He wondered when she would smile at _him_ again.

“Guilty,” said Adrien. “And burdened because I have caused her pain,” he admitted.

“Adrien, do you not have any feelings for her?”

Nino’s question caught him off guard. Adrien knew that he had no escape for how Nino was directly staring at him.

Did he have any feelings for her?

He did, of course. But he didn’t know what kind of feelings Nino was referring to. He presumed that it might be in the course of romance. If that was the case, well, he just wasn’t sure if he had romantic feelings for Marinette. He could but how would he be so sure? He might have feelings for her but…he might be too stubborn to admit it.

“I care for her.” Adrien replied. “I like being with her.” Despite of how crazy and embarrassing her ideas may be, Adrien still wanted it to be him who’s going to be the one to accompany her; against his better judgment. There was just something about her presence that soothes him. “I want her to love someone who is better than me. I want her to see that I am not worth it. I want her to know that I will cause her nothing but pain. I want her to see that I do not deserve her in any way.

“And I do not want her to get hurt,” he said, lastly.

Nino frowned at him. “But you already hurt her, Adrien.”

Adrien’s hopes fell. “I know,” his voice croaked. “And I hate it. I do not know what to do, Nino. I have never been this clueless.”

Nino reached at clapped his shoulder. “You might think of this as useless and cheesy but it is the only that I can tell you for now,” Nino began. “Follow your heart and swallow every ounce of your pride, Agreste. I know that this may be too much for you but if you truly care for her, you would consider her feelings as well.”

Adrien was fully aware that he had always been a prideful person. It had caused him a lot of trouble in the past and yet he still hadn’t learn from it. He should have paid more attention to Nino’s lectures. If he had, he wouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place. He could have warned Marinette. But still, he knew that it would still hurt her in some way. Adrien hated how powerless he seemed. And how cruel of him to have said those words to her.

A knock on the door wavered the continuous build up of worry that was surrounding him.

Alix entered the room with a note in hand. “Someone dropped this off earlier. I already sent it to the forensics but as usual, this darn note is alarmingly too clean. The only thing that is tainting it is the ink,” she handed the note over to Adrien.

“ _Merci_ , Alix,” said Adrien.

Alix has been a part of the program for three years now. The three of them rarely see each other and they have yet to be grouped with the same mission. It really put them at ease when they heard that Alix was a part of the headquarters that they are to be staying at in London. She was based here after all. And she has successfully kept her secret agenda from everyone except for her family- her friends Juleka and Rose are oblivious of it as well.

“How is the wedding?’ Nino said with a teasing tone.

Alix rolled her eyes. “You do not know how many times I have told Kim about me being a spy. He just laughs at me everytime I do so. That idiotic man even thinks that our profession does not exist.”

Nino laughed. “Seems like there is no escaping that arranged marriage.”

Alix groaned. “Tell me about it.”

Adrien began to unfold the paper. “Where is Nathaniel?”

“The poor guy is drowning in work thanks to Sinclair,” said Alix. “He is quite the favorite in my opinion. But anyways, I have to leave for another meeting with my future _in-laws_.” Alix stuck out her tongue, pretending to vomit.

“After you get married, what would happen then? Will you quit the program?” Nino questioned.

Alix clicked her tongue. “You know that I do not want to. I love my job,” she chuckled. “But it cannot be helped. I love my family more, after all. But if my future stupid husband would allow me, then I guess I can still continue on hoping that I would get to be teamed up with both of you in a mission some day.”

“We hope so too, Alix,” said Adrien.

Alix was one of the best female spies their organization had. Adrien and Nino had always hoped for having a mission with her.

Alix nodded. “I should get going. Good luck and stay safe,” she gave them both a salute before walking out of the door.

Nino stood beside Adrien, leaning his weight on his foot and rested his elbow on Adrien’s shoulder. “So,” he began. “What did that bloody note say?”

_let us begin._

_The clock struck 6;_

_lend me your eyes and ears_

_While in raw with snug,_

_Decipher and construe._

_Let me tell you all the risks:_

_-P_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .........Why does he have to be so stubborn? ToT
> 
> *Thank you for continuing to read this storyyy! :))) <3*


	20. Meetings and Warnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a first encounter- in days –caused strain and a first encounter- in years –brought great confusion.

He pulled on his horse’s reins, bringing it to a stop. Adrien hopped off the horse, swiftly landing on the ground with a thump. The surrounding was bathed in a warm glow with faint hues of orange and red, signalling the beginning of dusk. It was only nearing five in the afternoon, which meant that they still had time to stop Théo’s buffoons from creating a scenario in the mansion.

Nino rang the bell and faced Adrien as they waited. “The note said that it was six, correct?”

Adrien skimmed through the note again before placing it back inside his pocket. “Indeed,” he nodded.

They were welcomed by two maids dressed in their usual black and white attires as the door opened. As soon as he set foot inside the Lavillants’ mansion, Adrien felt a sudden rush of agitation. It wasn’t because of Théo- it wasn’t even related with their mission. He could already sense Marinette’s presence even though he hasn’t seen her yet. He wanted to see her, of course, but what he didn’t know was if he could look her in the eyes and converse as if he had not just broke her heart.

He wanted to settle things with her but he decided that he would give her time. He needed time to sort out his own feelings, too. And it would do them no good if he resolves to talk to her while everything there is between them was still in an intangible mess. For now, he would focus on the mission. But he would never stop thinking of what he’d done to her.

Adrien shook his head, letting his thoughts disperse.

“Let us begin. The clock struck six, lend me your eyes and ears while in raw with snug.” Nino said to himself. “Decipher and construe,” he paused, remembering the next line, “let me tell you all the risks,” he turned to Adrien. “What in God’s green earth is that suppose to mean?”

Adrien let out a breath. The note surely was complicated, but one thing that he was sure of was that they were certainly planning something. And where could it possibly happen other than in the mansion.

“It simply means that they are out for a fight,” said Adrien. “And we shall be prepared once they arrive.”

Nino took a glimpse at the grandfather clock that stood by the far end of the room. “ ‘Tis already eight minutes past five,” he shifted on his foot. “What I am wondering about is the fact that they chose to attack when everyone is still awake. What could they be planning? They are not going to bomb this place, are they?”

“That would be foolish of them. Théo, especially.” Adrien commented. “If they are to bomb the mansion, I am certain that it would happen when all of us are fast asleep. And do you not think it is too early for them to take that much risk? Théo may be an excellent spy but he knows full well that if he succumbs to that point of stupidity I will search the very ends of this planet to hunt him down,” he avowed.

Deaths of innocent people angered Adrien to his core. If Théo decides to do that, he would waste no time to point a gun and pull the trigger by his head once he gets the chance to encounter the blasted spy.

“We should start our rounds, then,” said Nino. “But I am still in doubt of that note. I think it would be best to warn Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant.”

“They are with Sinclair, have you forgotten?” Adrien said, brushing his hair back. It had grown longer since he arrived London. He might have to give it a trim one of these days.

“Ah, right. Then let us warn the girls.”

Adrien stilled.

_The girls?_

It would be the first time he was going to see Marinette after three agonizing days. He longed to see her, but he almost didn’t want to look at her, too. He didn’t want to see her avert her eyes from him. He just wanted to have things back to the way it were. But Adrien knew that it might be far from possible.

Nino let out a heavy breath. “God, Agreste, swallow your pride for a moment, will you? We need to make sure that they are safe.”

Adrien glared at him. “I am not being prideful. Just because I had gone silent does not mean I disagree,” he defended.

Nino held up his hands in defeat. “All right, I get it,” he rolled his eyes. “No need to get all grumpy.”

Adrien opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by Juleka’s voice.

“ _Monsieurs_ ,” she greeted. “How have you been? We have not seen you for quite a while.”

Adrien’s eyes briefly widened as it took in the sight of Marinette. Her dark blue hair was swept to the side and her cheeks looked flushed. He would have acknowledged her already if they were in good terms. She would have already given him a warm smile if he had not been so stupid.

“Things has just been piling up,” answered Nino. “Speaking of which, might we ask you all a small favor?”

All of the ladies traded looks before nodding. Adrien tried his best not to keep his eyes locked on Marinette. She might feel more uncomfortable than she already was.

“Go on,” Rose nodded.

“We would like you to stay in your rooms for the time being,” Nino began. “You need not to worry, we just need to check up on your safety inside the mansion.”

Regarding his mood, if it were Adrien he would have told them what was happening. But that wouldn’t be the best thing to do. He hated the fact that he almost didn’t care less. His mind was clouded with thoughts of Marinette and of them together in the damned park. She might not think of it as much as he does but Adrien knew that it was all his fault. He hadn’t been too careful. He made her fall in love with him without him even knowing. If only he could come to terms with his feelings-

Adrien halted his thoughts.

_Focus, Adrien._

_This is not like you._

“Would it be safer if we stay in one room?” Marinette suggested.

Adrien’s gaze landed on her.

She gave Nino a small shrug. “Just for the night while you and Chat are checking the mansion.”

Adrien blinked at her.

_Look at me, Marinette._

“That is a brilliant idea, Marinette,” said Nino.

“We can stay in my room tonight. It is the biggest among the others. I am certain that we will be in comfort.” Juleka smiled.

Rose bounced on her toes, clasping her hands together. “A sleep over!” she squealed. “Let us sort everything out so that we can go to Juleka’s room as soon as we can.”

“All right, I am in,” said Alya.

“We shall be on our way, then,” said Juleka. “Stay safe while you are doing your rounds.” She added.

Nino offered her a bow of his head. Adrien followed in suit, as he straightened up, he locked eyes with Marinette for a brief second- much to his dismay –before she averted her gaze. Though she hadn’t been avoiding him for that long, Adrien still didn’t like it- he knew that it would happen but it still surprised him that he felt that way. He didn’t know that it would affect him this much.

Nino nudged his elbow as soon as the girls were out of sight. “Does Marinette know anything?”

Adrien cocked a brow. “What do you mean by that?”

“Does she know anything about our mission?” Lowering his voice, he said, “Does she know about us?”

“Of course not,” Adrien said as a-matter-of-factly. “Marinette is an intelligent, lady. She knows that something is wrong. She does not need us to tell her about it, she can figure it out on her own.”

Adrien remembered the time when Marinette knew that Rose was in danger and was brave enough to follow him to the scene. If it were another fair maiden, she would have stayed somewhere safe instead. But Marinette chose to help to save her dear friend even if she knew that it could be dangerous. It was one of the many things that Adrien adored about her.

Nino sighed. “We better be careful then,” he slipped Adrien a glance, “You, most especially.”

Adrien clenched his jaw, preventing himself from commenting. That was what he had been telling himself ever since from the start. No matter how many times he warned and reminded himself not to get too attached, he knew that it was inevitable. He even tried to push her away but Marinette always found a way to make him welcome her again. She really was a pleasant surprise. And now that she was avoiding him, perhaps it would be easier for him to focus on his mission.

He hoped, at least.

“Where do you think they would enter?” asked Nino.

“They won’t break any windows.” Adrien replied, he glimpsed at the grandfather clock and synchronized the time with his pocket watch. “The maids return to their chamber by eight, it is still possible for Barbot’s team to slip inside the mansion until then. They might enter through the back door from the kitchen or from the gardens. This mansion is too vast for us determine where exactly they are to gain access.” Adrien sauntered to one of the carved wooden chairs, sat down, crossed his legs and checked his watch once more. “We just have to wait for them ourselves.”

Nino was gaping at him, his eyes wide. “Are you serious?”

“Did I stutter?”

Nino huffed, scratching the back of his head, exasperatedly. “I honestly have no idea of what is bubbling up in your mind right now but because I trust you too much that it worries me I am just going to follow whatever the hell you say.”

“Brilliant,” Adrien trilled.

Nino trudge towards the chair at the other end of the short table between them and sat down rather grudgingly.

Adrien twirled the gold watch on his palm. He ran his finger along the engraved letters behind the watch. It was his mother’s favorite watch; his, too. He remembers asking her if he could have it when he was little, and she always told him that he could when he gets older. Unfortunately, his mother didn’t get to see him grow into the man he was now. Knowing that she couldn’t fulfill her promise, his mother gave him her watch as she took her last breath- saying that it was going to be one of the many things that will symbolize her presence; and that with the use of the watch, she could always be with him in memory.

_La vie est belle._

As it said on his mother’s watch. It was truly beautiful. If only he had enough time to relish every second of it. Turning it over, he pulled the clasp behind the watch, revealing a secret compartment that held a sketch of his mother. Adrien had always been more affectionate with his mother than he was with his father. That was why he couldn’t think of any word that could possibly describe what he felt when she passed away.

He placed it back in his pocket, slowly letting the thoughts of his mother disappear.

“What do we do now?” asked Nino.

Adrien steepled his fingers, keeping his eyes and ears completely open. “We wait.”

 

~

 

“Adrien,” Nino began.

Adrien’s eye twitched as he hummed in response.

“I think we have been tricked.”

Adrien leaned back against the chair, seething even more so than before. They have been sitting for three whole hours now but there was no sign of Barbot’s team. They had not entered through the kitchen nor had they gone through the gardens. The space in front of them that they have been watching for the past hours was perfectly empty. Some of the butlers and maids even looked at them suspiciously as they walked past the two of them throughout the hours. The staff must have thought that they were losing their minds.

Nino removed his coat and hung it at the back of his chair. “Perhaps the note was not pertaining that it would happen today? What if they were planning to do it tomorrow?”

Adrien pulled the note out of his pocket, keeping himself from tearing it into a million shreds. He read the note once more, examining each line. He was certain that Théo’s team was planning on paying a visit to the mansion but they have been waiting for hours and yet they were met with nothing.

“Decipher and construe,” Adrien read, narrowing his eyes.

 

_let us begin._

_The clock struck 6;_

_lend me your eyes and ears_

_While in raw with snug,_

_Decipher and construe._

_Let me tell you all the risks:_

_-P_

 

So far, the notes that they have received weren’t too cryptic. Could it be that this one in particular held so much more than meets the eye? It was already way past six and Adrien was beginning to lose hope and was tempted to go back to their office- or perhaps to his own room in the mansion.

“Decipher and construe,” he said again, racking his brain. P clearly stressed that there was something hidden in the message. It could be that they were in too much hurry to get to the mansion that they failed to pay attention to the real meaning of the note.

“The clock struck 6,” he read, the wheels in his brain beginning to turn. “Decipher and construe.”

Turning the note upside down and flipped it to the side. He squinted his eyes and repeated the action, reading the letters before him. His pulse throbbed as the note came up with another meaning.

_For the love of…_

“We read it the wrong way,” he said.

Nino sat up straight, “What?”

Adrien stood up, placed the paper at the end of the table near Nino. Nino wiped his glasses before leaning down to read the note.

“Let me tell you all the risks: Decipher and construe.” Adrien paused, flipping the note backwards. He pointed his fingers at the words as he spoke, “While in _war_ with _guns_ lend me your eyes and ears.” He paused again, this time, Adrien turned the note upside down. “The clock stuck _9,”_

Nino gasped at the revelation.

“Let us begin.” Adrien continued.

Nino went limp, slouching on the chair. “Holy crap.”

Adrien stood up, crossing his arms. “We disregarded the symbols because we were in haste. We failed to notice that it was supposed to be read from top to bottom.” Adrien threaded a hand through his hair, distressed. “I would have noticed it if we were not in a hurry. The colon at the very last line was a no-brainer.”

Nino hung his head backward, rubbing his temples. “It symbolizes expansion. The last line proceeded with an expansion of the real message.” Nino leaned forward, running his hands down his face. “We did not even realize that some of the words were spelled backwards. Bloody hell,” he said in annoyance.

Adrien rolled his shoulders backward, standing taller. “It is too late to vent now,” he glanced at the clock. “ ‘Tis ten minutes past eight. Barbot’s team is coming here at nine. All of the doors have already been locked by the maids. Though it would still be possible for them to enter if they are to use pins small knives.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

Adrien pulled on the drawer and began to rummage through it. There must be at least one of those somewhere. Pushing it close, Adrien went to the second drawer. He sifted through its contents, reaching his fingers to the very ends of the box. His hand closed around a familiar piece. He took it out and was glad to see that it had met his expectations.

Nino raised a brow. “What are we supposed to do with a hair comb?”

Adrien did not think twice of bending one metal tooth off from the stylish blue and sliver comb. As it came off, he held it up for Nino to see. “We are going to stuff these inside the keyholes so that Barbot’s team would not have any access inside the mansion.”

With his mouth still wide open, Nino took the strip of metal from his colleague. Lifting his eyes to Adrien, he said, “What will I ever do without you?”

 

~

 

Stuffing the last metal onto the kitchen door’s keyhole, Adrien slipped his pin inside the hole, testing if it worked. The knob didn’t budge as he turned it a couple of times. They have blocked every keyhole that was possible of using as an entrance to the mansion. Windows were securely sealed and the balconies were too risky to enter through. They weren’t sure if the girls were already asleep but if they were having a sleepover as they said, Adrien presumed that they would likely be staying up late.

“We locked everything, check,” said Nino. He turned to Adrien as they descended the stairs, “What are we to do next, Mr. Intelligence?”

Adrien drew in a long breath. “Well, what do you suggest?”

Nino blinked at him in surprise. “You-You are asking me?” he pointed a finger to his chest, “You want my opinion?”

A thought came to Adrien’s mind.

“Wow, it has been a very long while since you have asked for my suggestion.” Nino continued to gush. He proceeded to blabber about how thankful he was for having his partner want his standpoint, and how miraculous it was that Adrien was actually trusting his decision while Adrien thought about Barbot’s team’s possible plan.

Adrien figured that they would likely enter through the kitchen like they did before. Since they are already certain that it was one of the doors that would give them access to the mansion, Adrien felt positive that it would be the first door that they would check. It wouldn’t be too possible for them to enter through the main door. They should expect the possibility of having to see Adrien and Nino waiting for them at the main entrance.

They were surely expecting that Adrien and Nino were inside.

“All right, then, I suggest we stay insi-”

“I changed my mind.” Adrien cut him off.

Nino’s brows furrowed. “Eh?!”

“We shall wait outside.”

Adrien began to head towards the door, leaving Nino behind.

“Ah, fantastic. One minute you ask for my opinion and the next there you are making me follow you again. What a lovely partnership this is.” Nino complained, stomping off behind Adrien.

“Just trust me,” said Adrien, pressing the lock on the knob before closing the door behind him and Nino.

“Do I have any other choice?” Nino scoffed, wrapping his arms around himself as they were met with the cold wind.

“No. You do not.” Adrien replied.

Rustling leaves echoed through the cold night as they went around the mansion. The moon shone ever so brightly amongst the twinkling stars above. If it had not been for their mission, Adrien would have considered his visit to England as a vacation. London has been nothing but lovely- except for the constant headache that has been caused by certain factors, or people, rather.

The note still seemed unclear to him in some way. They were already aware of the many risks that they would encounter in this mission. But it was as though the note was implying to a specific risk. Could it be that P was finally allowing them to know a bit more about the mission? What was the root of it and what had kept it going? Adrien doubted that it was just a simple business misunderstanding. No one would have the time to ruin a whole family just because of a mere understanding. Perhaps something else had caused this rift. Perhaps it was a feud that had stemmed a long, long time ago.

“What now? Are we just going to wait in plain sight and have our heads shot off?”

Adrien glared at Nino as they reached the door to the kitchen. “If you are to keep up with that attitude, I might shoot off your head myself.”

Nino scratched the back of his head. “Something tells me that you might actually do it.”

Adrien checked the time on his pocket watch. “Two minutes before nine.” He looked around, searching for a place that would obscure them from the view. He grabbed Nino’s wrist, dragging him behind a pillar nearby.

Nino pulled his arm away from Adrien, massaging his wrist. “War with guns, huh? So I suppose that they are planning to shoot someone tonight. Who do you think it might be?”

Adrien took a glimpse behind the pillar. “It is either me or you,” he replied. “But most likely, me.”

Nino huffed. “Théo must hate you that much.”

“The feeling is mutual,” said Adrien.

Nino laughed once out of humor, turning towards Adrien and folded his arms across his chest. “You are one deceiving man, are you? I bet no one would ever dare to think that you are quite barbaric and savage and brutal at particular times,” he said. “And callous on rare occasions.” Nino added. “They all think of you as this,” Nino began to droop his eyes and deepen his voice, “too handsome for his own good prince with a mysterious, Shakespeare-like past. Little do they know that you turn into a ferocious man once you are given a gun-”

“Hush,” Adrien clamped a hand down Nino’s mouth.

Murmurs and faint footsteps began to be heard. Adrien couldn’t tell that they weren’t too many. In fact, it seemed like Théo was absent once again. Two men clad in shades of black emerged from the corner. One had both of his hands buried deep in his coat’s pockets while the other was twirling a gun on his fingers. Adrien would have to take that one out first, he thought. He had always despised cocky spies who couldn’t even shoot straight.

“They are headed to the kitchen,” whispered Nino.

“Told you so.”

The man with the gun served as a lookout while his partner went on and tired to open the door. Adrien saw him pull and turn on the knob a few times but it didn’t budge a bit. He even attempted to push his key or pin farther through in the hopes of unlocking the door. But they were met with disappointment when their keys didn’t manage to slip all the way through the keyhole. The man managing the lock shook his head at his partner, signaling that the door could not be opened. He nodded at the far corner, which led to the door to the maids’ chambers. But that, too, have been clogged. It would be pointless to have them check each and every door they could find. It would require having the door be knocked down in order for them to get inside.

“Go,” Adrien nudged Nino out of the pillar.

Nino stumbled back behind it, “Are you out of your mind? You could have at least given me a three second warning!”

Adrien rolled his eyes, “Three, two, one. Go,” he pushed him once more, sending Nino in complete view.

Nino gave him the finger before facing ahead and adjusted his collars.

“Gentlemen,” he called. “What a pleasant night it is, don’t you think?”

The two intruders swiveled around, one man clumsily aiming a gun at Nino. Adrien silently grumbled at the sight. _Idiot._

“A piece of advice, chap. You ought to learn how to hold a gun properly. I already have a feeling that it might be the end of you,” mocked Nino.

“Where is Agreste?” the other demanded.

This one though, appeared more experienced. Adrien predicted that the other might be trainee.

“He is around here somewhere.” Nino said, looking around. “Fear not, he will appear when he feels like it. There is no need to miss him too much.”

“We are not here for a chit-chat, Lahiffe,” the man scowled.

Nino guffawed, “Then stop chit-chatting me. I would have not answered if you have not asked me a question yourself.”

Adrien should have stepped out of the pillar by now. But he just has to know their intentions of going to the mansion. They didn’t look like they were in much need of a fight- unlike the group that he has encountered with Théo awhile back. Adrien told himself that he wouldn’t shed a single drop of blood tonight- not his anyways.

“To be fair, why don’t I ask you a question in exchange of yours?” Nino tapped his foot. He glanced at the amateur who still had a gun pointed at him. “Is that really necessary?”

“I will not let you lay a finger on us, Agent Lahiffe,” he spat, shifting from foot to foot.

Nino sighed in exasperation. If it were Adrien, he would have not have the same patience as Nino. He would have already knocked out the gun out of that man’s hand.

Nino was mumbling something but Adrien didn’t hear too clearly.

“Ah, here it is.”

With a much determined stance, Nino hauled a gun out of the inside pocket of his coat and pointed it back at the man.

He shrugged, “To be fair. Now, where was I?” he paused for a moment. “Ah, yes. I was going to ask you a question.” Nino cleared his throat a few times before proceeding. “What is your motive of going here?”

The two men traded looks. It didn’t take long before the man took out his gun as well. “We were in the hopes of meeting you and your partner, of course. And though we were also aiming on gaining access inside the mansion, we already expected that it would be impossible.”

Nino clenched his fist. Adrien could feel that Nino, too, was beginning to feel a little bit impatient.

“Agreste and I are a hundred steps ahead of you,” he said, now gripping the gun with both of his hands.

The man cocked his head at him. “Is that so?”

“Unless there is something else that you have not told us.”

“And you expect it to come from our very mouths?” The man snickered. “You still have a long way to go, Lahiffe; you and your dear partner. It might not seem like it but I am seven years your senior. I have gone through much more than he and you combined.”

Nino hummed. “As far as I know I never asked for your backstory, Mr. Mysterious. And I certainly would not give a single damn about it. Now, answer my question before I shoot the both of you. I am honestly a very patient man but this is surprisingly exasperating. Since I am not satisfied with your reply, I am going to have to ask you again. Why did you come here?”

Adrien figured that the men would keep their mouths shut not unless he shows himself. They did say that they were anticipating him and Nino. Perhaps they were messengers sent by P. Or P must have sent them to land a bullet inside either Adrien or Nino- both of them if they were lucky. But Adrien vowed that he would have to pull the trigger first.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, gentlemen,” he announced, stepping out of the pillar. He stopped beside Nino. “Do I need to pull out my gun as well?”

“Took you quite a long time, Agreste,” the man took off his hood, gaining them a view of his bunched up wavy hair that ended on his shoulders. They saw a glimpse of streaks of violet mixed in with his jet-black hair as it caught the moonlight.

It had been a long time since Adrien last saw him. He had a feeling that it might be him just from hearing his voice minutes ago. But still, he hoped that he was wrong. Unfortunately, Adrien’s instincts were always right.

“ _Bonsoir_ , Jagged,” he acknowledged.

Jagged smirked. “ _Bonsoir_ , Adrien.”

Agent Jagged had been a part of the same organization with Adrien and Nino when they were just starting out. He was one of the best spies back then. Adrien admired him- idolized him, even. He liked how Jagged remained calm and cordial even though the hardest mission was always assigned to him. Adrien admired his skills and capabilities as a spy. Once, he even told himself that he wanted to be just like him- better than him –when he gets older. Oh how he regrets that decision.

“ _Jagged?_ ” Nino stressed. “Agent Jagged who completely disappeared two years ago. You are that Jagged?”

Agent Jagged nodded. “Indeed. And this is my Protégé, Vincent.”

“I knew he was a Protégé.” Nino mumbled.

It angered and saddened him that Jagged had decided to join an opposing organization. What infuriated Adrien more was that it appeared as though he was not grateful for the people who had made him the man he was today.

“Why are you here, Jagged? I demand you answer my question,” said Adrien.

Jagged let out a harsh breath, “It surprises me that you are able to sound so impertinent, Adrien. Was I not your role model back then?”

Adrien stared at him. “I have no respect for a man who turned his back against the people who have trusted him with their lives. Will you answer me or not?”

Jagged lowered his gun, a teasing look was on his face. “What if I won’t?”

“I will shoot you.”

Jagged laughed, “Oh, I doubt you won’t, little boy. You do not have that much courage to do so.”

Feeling the start of rage rising up to his veins, Adrien wrapped his hand around Nino’s gun, pulled it upwards and wasted no time to pull the trigger.

“Adrien!” Nino shouted, realizing what had just happened.

Jagged was crouched down, a hand on his ear. Adrien wasn’t planning on hurting him too much. He was not the type of person who’d kill out of annoyance.

Vincent looked at his partner and then at the two of them, charging his gun, he ran towards them, “It is on, Agreste.”

Adrien dodged and took a step to the side. He went behind him and captured his arm, twisting it until he winced in pain, making him drop his gun. He kicked it to Nino’s direction while he gripped Vincent’s arm. Vincent went around, keeping his hand on Adrien’s arm. He pulled him forward to throw him off the pillar but Adrien landed a hard punch on his gut.

“I despise you, Agreste.” Vincent coughed, swinging a right hook. Adrien blocked it with his left arm, drawing his knee to Vincent’s side. Nino appeared behind Vincent, taking both of his arms, locking it behind him with his tight grip.

“Go to Jagged,” Nino struggled as Vincent tried to escape. “I will handle this barbarian.”

Adrien nodded and raced towards Jagged who was still on the ground. He was probably distressed of how unskillful his protégé was. Adrien stood before him, not saying a word. He felt great resentment towards the agent. Never would he have thought that his role model would think of siding against good.

“I did not come here to harm you, Adrien,” said Jagged.

Adrien gnashed his teeth, keeping his temper at bay. “You disgust me.”

Jagged chuckled, weakly. “I am fully aware of that, little boy,” he took a deep breath, helping himself up. He wiped the blood on his hands on his pants. “I am proud of what you have become, Adrien. It is clear that you have achieved more than I did when I was your age. Nino, too.”

Adrien glanced back at Nino who was twisting both of Vincent’s arms, trying to keep him still.

“I am proud of the both of you,” continued Jagged.

Adrien raised a brow at him, “You are aware that you are praising your enemies, correct?”

Jagged’s mouth twisted. “Yes.”

Adrien was confused of Jagged’s sudden change of nature. He was threatening Nino a while ago and now it seemed as if he was back to his past self. The version of him, which Adrien idolized.

But this might only be a trap. Adrien was no fool. Jagged would never trick him.

“Why are you here, Jagged? Do not make me shoot you again.”

Jagged let out a deep sigh, wincing as he tucked a strand of hair behind his bullet grazed ear.

“I came here because of P,” he admitted. “But I did not come here for his purpose.”

Adrien’s brows furrowed. “Beg pardon?”

Jagged took a glimpse of Vincent before lowering his voice. “Protect this family, Adrien. Protect Nino and yourself, as well. This feud is more sinister than I have ever thought it could be. This did not begin for what you may have thought and presumed. If you decide to keep on regarding P’s clues with the same perspective, you will fail over and over and over again. Adrien,” he paused, catching his breath, “everyone is in danger. Even those who are far away from you. _All_ of those whom he has set his eyes on are in great danger. I ask you- beg you to be very careful.” Jagged looked at him with sincerity. Adrien was torn between believing him and calling it a bluff. Why was he warning him? He was in Barbot’s team. They were enemies. Why did it seem like he was on their side?

“Do not trust anyone but yourself, Adrien. Trust is a very dangerous game. Think of me as an example of that. I have betrayed you and I have betrayed them at the same time.”

Adrien blinked at him. His mind was in complete knots. How will he be able to process this all through? He didn’t even know if he should believe him or if he was truly sincere.

Jagged took Adrien’s hand. “Be careful, little boy,” he said, slipping something inside his hand before dashing towards Vincent.

“Hey! We are not done yet!” Nino shouted as Jagged seemed to have dragged his protégé away.

Adrien grasped the thin piece of paper in his hand, letting Jagged’s words sink in his mind. Trust no one? Protect everyone? Even himself and Nino? That could only mean that this mission truly was alarming. But why did it sound like even Jagged himself was deeply worried and affected?

Nino trudged to his direction. “Why did you let him go? We almost had him!”

Coming back to his senses, Adrien unfolded the note.

 

_Drastic times call_

_for drastic measures._

_-P_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alas, we have a new character. ;)
> 
> Thank you very much for continuing to read this story- even though the fluff seemed to have dispersed for a while but fear not, it'll come back soooon. :)) 
> 
> Have a great week!


	21. Irate and Desolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Miss Marinette was deeply conflicted by a not too honest regard of feelings by a certain man.

_What if I did not tell him, would we still be the same?_

Marinette rolled on her bed, covering her flaming face with her pillow. It had been days but they still haven’t talked. She wanted to speak to him but at the same time she didn’t. That was probably the most painful rejection she would ever receive in her entire life. Never would she have imagined him telling her that he did not want to fall in love with her. He could have said it more nicely, or in way that wouldn’t break her heart too much.

Marinette muffled her long groan with her pillow. What did she do to deserve this?

“Mari,” Alya drawled, “You are messing up your bed again. Seriously, what in the world has gotten into you?”

Marinette hauled herself up with her arms, pushing her back against the cushioned headboard. A certain cat has caused this, that’s what happened. She couldn’t even look at him when they saw each other yesterday. She kept on telling herself that she should be proud of her courage- for confessing her feelings. She was aware of the inevitable heartache of course, but she also knew that somehow, she was hoping that he wouldn’t reject her. It was a good thing that she had already confessed to him. If she hadn’t, it might have hurt a thousand more if she was to do it in the future.

Alya let out a deep sigh, resting her hands on her hips. “What is the matter, Marinette?”

Marinette had told Rose about Chat’s rejection. But she hadn’t told Alya yet. She knew that Alya wouldn’t be as gentle and as understanding as Rose. But it would be quite inconsiderate of her if she wouldn’t tell her best friend. She didn’t like keeping secrets after all.

She hugged her knees to her chest and swiped her damp fringe. “I have to tell you something,” she said in a small voice.

Alya’s eyes began to fill up with concern. “What is it?” she sat at the edge of the bed.

Marinette contemplated.

_Should I tell her?_

Marinette blew out her cheeks. _Might as well._

“It is Chat.”

Alya stared.

Marinette counted five heartbeats before Alya crinkled her nose.

“You did not,” she paused, scratching at her jaw. “Is that why you are…” she trailed off, pointed her whole hand at Marinette and waved it in a circle, “Like _that?_ Is he the reason why?”

Marinette avoided Alya’s eyes as she nodded.

“Did you…confess to him?”

Marinette held back a grimace. Flashbacks of what had happened back at the park started to rush through her.

She nodded once more.

“And what did he say?”

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the image of Chat out of her mind. She blocked his words from flowing all through her head.

“Let us just say that it was not what I wanted,” she answered, weakly.

It was far from what she wanted, in fact.

Oh, how could they ever go back to the way they were?

“You did not bawl your eyes out, did you not?”

Marinette stilled.

She cried too much that it was hard to breathe.

Marinette looked up at Alya with a small pout forming on her lips.

Alya frowned and opened her arms. “You can use my dress as a tissue.”

Marinette crawled towards her friend and wrapped her arms around Alya. Marinette should have told her sooner. All she thought about was how Alya would judge her. She didn’t think about the comfort that her friend would be able to give her. Though Rose had been a great help, having Alya- her bestfriend –understand her unrequited feelings was undoubtedly more relieving.

Alya began to smooth a hand over Marinette’s hair. “To be honest, I did not really expect you to confess to him this early. I presumed that you might do it in a few years actually-”

Marinette smacked her arm.

“I was joking!” Alya giggled. “I am glad that I was wrong, though. I always forget that you are much better than that.”

“You did not think that it was foolish?” asked Marinette.

Alya shook her head. “Not in the slightest bit. If anything, I think it is courageous of you to have done that.” Alya’s strokes became harder when the subject took a turn. “That shameless man on the other hand, has every factor of a cowardly cat. He should have at least thought about how you would feel. He should have rejected you in a more regarding way.” Now Marinette’s scalp was starting to ache because of Alya’s scratch-like strokes. “I swear to the heavens above, If I see-”

“Alya!” Marinette scooted away from her, patting down her disheveled hair.

Alya huffed in annoyance. “ _Désolé._ Based from your reactions, I just could not believe he could be that inconsiderate of you- your feelings most of all. He looks and acts as if he is this regal handsome prince from God knows where when in truth, he is a twisted, selfish, stoic man-”

“Alya,” Marinette sighed, wanting her to stop.

Chat was a bit inconsiderate, she knew that, but he wasn’t as bad as Alya thought he was. He hurt her, yes, but somehow, she still wanted to defend him- even if it confused and desolated her. She knew that she was going to move on and forget about him someday…perhaps not in the near future but she knew that it was going to happen.

She just has to let her heart heal some more.

Although it hasn’t even begun yet.

Heaving out a sigh, she said, “I really want to see him.”

Alya cocked a brow at her.

Marinette moaned in agitation, covering her face with her hands. “Why did it have to be like this?”

She didn’t know if Chat still wanted to be friends with her after that. He didn’t really say much after she confessed. Well, he did say something but Marinette would rather not remember it again.

“All right, enough with the sulking.” Alya tugged on Marinette’s hands. “Repeat after me.”

Marinette furrowed her brows. “Why?”

Alya rolled her eyes. “Just do it,” she took in a deep breath and sat straighter. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she began.

In all honesty, Marinette felt silly about it.

Having no choice, she let out a defeated breath and said, “Marinette Dupain-Cheng,”

“You are going to move on from this.” Alya continued.

Marinette hesitated. She wanted to move on, of course. But it would be impossible for her to forget about it as fast as she could.

Alya nudged on her elbow and glared.

Marinette gulped, “I am going to move on from this.”

_Will I?_

Alya smacked her forehead. “I see that doubt in your eyes, Dupain-Cheng. Shake it off.”

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. There was no point of doubting herself now.

“Marinette, he is just a man.”

“Marinette, he is just a man.” Marinette echoed.

“There is no need to be in this much grief.”

Marinette wanted to cringe. “There is no need to grieve.”

“You are a strong and independent woman.”

“I am a strong and independent woman.”

It was actually much relieving than she thought. For now, she would believe in these words. There was no harm in dong things that would lessen one’s pain.

“You do not love him anymore.”

“I do not lo-” Marinette felt the words clog on her throat. She might as well choked. “I…” She didn’t want to lie. Lying would hurt even more. And she knew what she was getting herself into when she fell for him.

“I still love him,” she confessed.

It was true. She had been attracted to him from the moment that she saw him at the main square. Though never would she have imagined that her simple attraction would lead to something more dangerous- love.

Alya grunted, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I am going to kill that man.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little filler before the action picks up again. :)
> 
> *I just noticed that the word count is nearing 60k! Eeeep!*
> 
> Thank you for reading this story!! ^-^


	22. Decisions and Salvations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which options are brought up and a dark past was beginning to unravel.

“Marinette! There is a letter for you from Paris!” Alya called from the foot of the stairs.

Marinette took a handful of her skirt, lifting it up and wasted no time in dashing down the staircase. What a wonderful way to start her day, she thought. She knew too well who’d send her a letter from Paris. She had been missing her home and country deeply. But they only had three more months before they fly back to France. Well, they would only go back if they chose to.

“Where is it?” Marinette asked too excitedly.

Alya handed her a not too thick cream envelope. She had to admit that she was a bit disappointed. But knowing her parents, they would rather want to converse with her personally; in that way, they would be able to communicate more. And they were probably too busy making bread anyways. Their hands could be tired by the time they find a chance to write a letter to their daughter.

“Are they serious?”

Alya gaped at an envelope that was almost as thick as a printed novella. Marinette giggled at the sight. Alya’s letters had always been too lengthy and too detailed. The questions breached from ‘How are you?’ to ‘What did you eat today? Who made it? Was it good for you? Was it enough?’ Alya appreciated it, of course, but she couldn’t help but feel quite annoyed.

Marinette patted her back. “I am certain that they mean well.”

Alya rolled her eyes. “It will take me forever before I write back to them. You can expect me to have read only half of my letters by the time that you have finished yours,” she lamented.

Marinette chuckled. “You are going to be fine. I will be at the parlour to read mine,” she left her friend behind and made her way towards the parlour. Sitting on her favorite pink chaise, Marinette leaned against the backrest with a sigh. Receiving the letter might have been the best thing that had happened over the past two weeks.

Hearing the sound of the rip as she tore the top part off of the envelope soothed her somehow. She wished that she could smell the familiar aroma of their bakery, or hear the tittle-tattles of Parisians as she walks down a cobbled path. She missed visiting the Eiffel tower whenever she feels the need for some inspiration. She missed speaking French- and hearing it, bizarre as it may sound.

She missed Paris in general.

All she had as a simple teleport to France was her parent’s letter. Taking a deep breath through her nose, Marinette read the letter.

 

_Ma chére fille,_

_Comment vas-tu mon cher? Tu nous manques tellement. Nous espérons que vous allez bien. The boulangerie is not the same without you. Your father and I hope to see you soon. Little ladybugs have been constantly dropping by your windowsill, they must miss you very much, perhaps they miss you just as much as we do. Your friends have been asking of you as well. You must think about writing letters for them, too. Mademoiselle Bérges visited the shop a few days back. She asked of your arrival here in Paris. I told her that we left that decision for you to make. I have to say, she was quite disheartened- knowing that you are one of her favorite students. But I stated that you are in charge of where you want your career to take its path. Which brings me to ask you about where you want to continue your studies. You have said that you have not been doing well in your fashion degree and that you have been lacking in inspiration; that is why we have asked you to take a break until you find the reason why you love weaving fabrics together to make a masterpiece in the first place. We hope that by now, you have reached the point of wanting to create magnificent designs again. But I must ask you, where do you wish to continue your degree? Mademoiselle Bérges will be more than happy to have you as her student again if you decide to study here in France. If you choose to go forth with it there in London, I know that the Lavillants’ will be willing to have you stay in there premises over the course of your study. Your father and I will support you no matter what, Marinette. We only ask you to make the right decision; one that will make you truly happy. I know that you will succeed with that talent of yours. You just have to make sure that you are on the right path. Do extend this query to Alya. Her parents have been wondering of her decision as well. We miss you very much, Marinette. We hope to see you soon. Please take care and be safe._

_With infinite love,_

_Your Mamman & Papa_

 

 

Marinette folded the letter with a question left on her mind. What will she choose? She does miss her parents- and everything in France –dearly but she still hadn’t made her decision. She doubts that Alya has made hers, too. It had almost been a year since she talked to her parents about shifting to a different degree. Going to her university with her sketchbook in hand and going back home with nothing new drawn inside angered and depressed her. It came to the point that she was unease with her talent. She kept on asking herself if taking up a fashion degree was what she really wanted. If she decided to take it because that was what she loved or if she decided to take it because she thought that, that was what she was supposed to do; she wondered if she felt as though she was obligated to do it.

But her parents never pressured her- that was what she loved most about them. They asked for her to take a break until she feels the need to finish what she started. Marinette hated being on pause. She hated not being productive. She hated sulking over her existence or her skills. She knew that she was capable of doing other things but it was designing clothes and accessories that warmed up to her above all that. Marinette always reminded herself that she wasn’t on a vacation. She always told herself that she was on a hiatus- a hiatus that might be a way to make her love her desired profession again. She just had to find a reason that will bring back the spark in her eyes whenever she was asked to design something.

If only her love for Chat could be transferred to her career.

Marinette shook her head vigorously. She didn’t have to think about that now. She had to focus on herself more. She would deal with him once she gets everything else sorted out. She was good at multitasking, yes, but when it came to her feelings and emotions, multitasking was never a good idea.

Marinette wanted to study fashion again, of course, but she didn’t know what purpose she was doing it for. Or where she wanted to continue it. She knew that she was given enough time but it seemed as if it wasn’t sufficient. _Just a few more months._ Perhaps in those months, inspiration may hit her.

_Please._

_Let me come up with something._

“Monsieurs!”

Marinette’s head shot up as she heard Juleka’s voice.

As she did, she almost wished that had just kept on reading the letter.

“Will you be here for the rest of day? You have not been regularly staying in the mansion for quite awhile now,” said Juleka.

Chat stood beside Niño with perfect ease. He had his hands deep in his coat’s pockets. Marinette suppressed a gasp as she realized that he was wearing the coat that he had lent her before. As much as she wanted to completely erase that memory, there was still a part in her that wanted to treasure it.

“Ah, yes, we apologize for that,” Niño replied. “We have just been very busy but do not worry, your safety remains as our main priority,” he reassured.

Chat wasn’t the chatty type, Marinette noticed. He would rather observe and listen rather than to intrude. But when he does speak, it would be impossible not to believe his every word. Regardless of her small observation, she still wanted to believe that the words he had uttered back at the park were not all true. If he had not been lying he would have rejected her all while looking straight into her eyes like he always did. There could be a possibility that he was burdened of it, too. Marinette didn’t want to dwell on the negativity that was surrounding her situation. Nothing good would happen if she’d refuse to see past that.

“Where is Mari?” asked Rose.

Marinette stilled. Somehow, she had been eavesdropping, had she not? Tucking her letter back in its envelope, Marinette shoved it inside her dress’s pocket. She swiped her fringe and righted her gloves.

“I am right here,” she called and stood up.

Minding every step she took, Marinette offered a wide smile as she reached the girls’ spot. She would have to write back to her parents later.

Rose adjusted the strap of her clutch. “Will you be doing anything else today?”

Niño looked at Chat before turning back to Rose. “I do not think so, no. Why do you ask?”

Alya exhaled, folding her arms. “We are planning on going to the main square. As you know, we are not allowed to take a single step out of the mansion without having any of you accompany us.” Alya raised a brow, “Who will it be?”

Niño was taken aback. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times and glanced at Chat as if to ask for help.

They hadn’t uttered a word to each other ever since what had happened at the park. Though she didn’t want to admit it, Marinette missed talking to him. And faster than a lightning bolt across the sky, hope started to form itself within her. She hoped that he’d come with them. Even though they wouldn’t converse- which she was certain of –at least she would be aware of his presence, at least they would spend time with each other in some way.

Marinette hadn’t really told herself to give up, though. She hadn’t thought of it yet. There were too many things in her mind that she pushed that single thing far back in her mind. She didn’t want to go on like this- ignoring and avoiding each other. For the past two weeks, whenever they were in the same room- not matter how many people were with them –Marinette always felt an instant uncomfortable vibe. And she knew that Chat felt it, too.

 _Nothing will happen if I would not do anything._ Marinette reminded herself.

She would have to talk to him again. If he would reject her, she would accept it. She just wanted to have things go back the way they were. Even if it wouldn’t be exact, she would rather have that instead of what they were given now.

Lifting her gaze, Marinette felt fire as her eyes locked with Chat’s. Normally, one of them would look away. But this time, Marinette told herself that she wouldn’t be the one to do it. She wasn’t embarrassed of what she did. She wasn’t embarrassed of her confession- she never will be.

Why can’t Chat see that?

Despite of all that has happened, she could still feel it. The warmth and a hint of joy that was erupting in her veins as she looked at him. She could almost feel it radiating in the space between them.

Was he feeling it, too?

“Well, since we are both free today and I believe that it would be much safer to go to the square with two escorts.” Nino said. “Shall we g-”

“I think it would be best if Niño would accompany you.” Chat cut him off, breaking his and Marinette’s eye contact as well.

“What?” Nino asked incredulously.

“I am not feeling quite well today and I am afraid that it might cause trouble for you,” he explained. “Please excuse me,” Chat bowed and left the room as fast as he came.

Marinette wrung her fingers.

Was it her fault?

Did she make him feel uncomfortable?

Well, he had been making her feel the same way, too, but she hadn’t thought about walking out like that. If there was anyone who deserved a dramatic exit it was her. She was the one who had been hurt the most after all.

Marinette let out a silent breath, keeping herself calm.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Chat wouldn’t be coming with them. She almost forgot that even though he was stoic, he still had to deal with his own emotions.

And maybe he still hadn’t figured it out just as much as she did.

 

~

 

Having to go to the main square was such a relief. It felt as if Marinette had been locked inside her room for years. She made a mental note that she would join the others more often when they are going to head out and shop until they couldn’t walk anymore. Marinette pitied Niño for the bags that he would have to carry later. Alya appeared to have bought a lot of designer clothing already.

She wondered if Alya would buy her own creation someday, too. Would anyone buy it? Would it even be good enough to be out upfront in a store? Would she continue studying about it? Never would she have thought that she would lose herself in the midst of loving something so much. She hoped that it wasn’t permanent- being unable to grasp her passion for art and creativity.

She hoped that she would be able to find it again.

“Are you all right?”

Marinette swerved around and saw that it was Rose.

“Are you all right, Marinette?” she queried again.

Marinette nodded. “I am fine,” she smiled.

“But there are things that are swarming in your mind?” Rose guessed.

Marinette’s smile slipped into a frown. She nodded once more. “Yes.”

“Is it about your studies?”

Had she been that obvious?

“Yes.”

Unlike her, Rose and Juleka now have their private tutors. Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant had stated that their two daughters would inherit all of their fortunes and will forthwith take over their business as soon as they retire. She on the other hand, had no great fortune to inherit but her parent’s bakery in Paris. That was why she needed to work hard on achieving what she wanted in life.

“Have you still not found it? Inspiration?”

Marinette nibbled on her bottom lip. She shook her head.

Rose breathed out. “It will happen once in a while- feeling as though you have lost every ounce of passion you have for doing something. You should expect that. But that does not mean it will be gone forever. Well, it could, but only if you let it go. In your case, Mari,” she turned to face her, “I know by heart that you have it in you to fight for what you love. Either it be over a simple thing or for a person.”

Marinette managed to design dresses for the girls for the ball after all. And they did say that they loved it. She knew that giving it up with be an ultimately bad idea. All the sacrifices that her parents made for her would all be put to waste. And all the time that she’s devoted to it would mean nothing.

Rose patted her shoulder. “You will find it soon, Mari,” she said before walking towards Juleka who was sifting through a clothes rack.

Marinette drew in a long breath. Never would she have thought that she’d have this much confusion while in London. If she stayed in Paris, she might not have went through the things that she experienced here. She might not have gotten closer to Juleka and Rose. Her life might not have been threatened.

She might not have met Chat.

“Lady Marinette,” someone called.

Marinette turned to see who it was. “Yes, Niño?”

Niño took off his fedora hat and tuck it under his armpit. “May I speak with you?”

Marinette blinked at his sudden request. “All right.”

They sat down a bench that was at the corner of the shop where they could still see the other girls. Marinette didn’t know why Niño decided to talk to her. But she did have an idea of who would be the topic. And to think of it, she didn’t really converse with Niño that much, so it was really a surprise that he had asked her now.

“How have you been?” he began.

Marinette nodded. “Well. You?”

“Likewise.”

Marinette could feel the uncomfortable silence surrounding them. This was even more discomforting than what had happened between her and Chat earlier. She didn’t know which side Niño was on, or if Chat’s story really resembled hers; or if he had any idea of what was going on between the two of them.

“If you would allow me, I want to talk about my friend.”

Marinette remained silent. She didn’t know what to say or how to say it. But if she would stay quiet, she thought that it would be quite offensive, she might make him feel that she didn’t want to talk to him.

“What about him?”

Niño clasped his hands together, and then rubbed it on his pants before clasping it again. Marinette sensed that he, too, had no idea of how their conversation would go.

“Chat,” he began, “that man has always been complex ever since we were young.”

Marinette’s gaze shot at him, surprised of his admission.

“He is very complicated to say the least. He bottles up his emotions refusing to let them out. When I asked him why he continues to do it, I almost wished that I had not asked in the first place.”

Curiosity filled Marinette’s mind. “Why is that?”

Niño fidgeted. “He said that it is what makes us weak. I remember him telling me that he hated letting his guards down. And that everytime he does it, something bad happens.” Niño turned to her, “I trust that he has told you about his mother.”

Marinette nodded.

“Her death has caused him a lot of burden. It came to the point that he was almost traumatized by it. Imagine having to be locked in your own home for almost a year because some lunatic is threatening your family. He could not see any of his friends anymore. Hell, he could not even see the sun.” Niño ran a hand down his buzzed hair. “Chat has been deeply scarred. Even if he would not admit it, the scars that he has gained from his past still have not healed. Because he himself refuses for them to be cured.”

Niño licked his lip and his hand began to shake. Marinette could also see a hint of fear and worry in his eyes.

“One day,” he said, “one day, I know that he is going to break. For the entirety of the years that we have been together, this is the first time that I have seen him so troubled.”

Marinette furrowed her brows. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Chat has never been this afraid, Marinette. He was always at ease and believes that in every mission, he will succeed no matter what happens. And that is because he had nothing to lose back then. But now,” Niño lifted his eyes to hers, “he has found the person that may heal his scars and fix his broken pieces. He is terrified that he might lose that person. What troubles him the most is that he is fully aware that he might be the reason why that person may slip out of his hands. Chat has never been good at saying goodbye. He detests it. He would avoid it at all costs. But seeing as we are in a position that may harm anyone just by being involved with them,” Niño paused, his own words seeming to have its own impact towards him. “He has to be careful. I, as well. Chat does not want to experience the loss of his mother again.” Niño stared at her as if to let his words completely sink in her mind. “He is afraid that, that person might leave him without looking back.”

Marinette let out a small gasp. Before she could even stop herself, she said, “I would never.”

Niño offered her a weak smile. “I know that you won’t.” He adjusted his glasses, “I do not know the exact words that he told you or how he delivered it but I do know this, I am fairly certain that you are both hurt from what has happened, I can confirm to you that Chat has been sulking as well. He said those words to you because he wants to prevent you from enduring much pain that he may cause you in the future. He knows that there is something wrong in this mission and that one of us is going to be in more grave danger than the other. We are men who are accustomed to secrets and lies. Sometimes, I think that love is never an option for us. Marinette,” he said with a soft voice, “he is giving you a chance to walk away and _never_ look back. He wants you to save yourself.”

Marinette felt a sob bubbling up her throat. She swallowed, trying to keep her tears from falling. She thought that somehow, she finally understood him. She didn’t know that he was going through so much more. Why did he have to be so selfish of letting himself be hated because of wanting to save her? Why did he want to succumb to all the pain?

“I want to save him,” she whispered. “I want to save him, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I vaguely remember having chills as I read Nino's lines over the course of editing. And alas, Mari and Alya's purpose of coming to London has finally been revealed. *Honestly, I only figured it out as I was writing this chapter.;)*
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read this story!! :)  
> Commentz nd kudos are alwaaayyyyssss appreciated. >3<
> 
> *And the word count has reached over 60k! EEEEPP! It wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for every single one of you. Merci beaucoup~!*


	23. Ill and Overkill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mr. Agreste feels rather poorly as a new set of guns and threats are hauled.

Adrien buried his face in his hands as a nagging pain at the back of his head began to erupt. This mission had just gotten harder and harder as time went by. And having to meet Jagged only made it worse. He understood his warnings of course but why did he do it? What were they supposed to do that they didn’t? Why did Jagged decide to neglect his duties?

He figured it was a good thing that he didn’t join Nino and the others yesterday. It would have deprived him on focusing on the mission. Though he did promise that he would make amends with Marinette once it was the right time. He did miss her after all.

Dearly.

Adrien rubbed his temples, screwing his eyes shut. His headache was taking its toll. He didn’t have the chance to sleep well last night- he might as well say that he did not sleep at all. Adrien went straight to the headquarters as soon as the others left. He wouldn’t be able to examine the notes well if he’d stay in the mansion.

Leaning his back against the chair, Adrien pulled out the note. He lifted it towards the light, making the faint swirls appear. It would have been better if P used a blank paper instead, that would be near impossible for the agents to determine if the notes had been torn from one sheet of paper. Adrien tried to piece the notes together but the swirls didn’t coordinate with each other. And the first couple of notes that had gone through the forensics were in Sinclair’s care. Adrien concluded that the notes didn’t come from one sheet.

He lifted the paper to his nose and gave it a sniff. It has a familiar scent to it, too. It wasn’t too strong; it was light to the point that no one would distinguish it not unless it is given a good whiff. It had a soft floral tone- lavender specifically –but it also has a hint of a scent of vintage leather. P must have gotten it from an old journal. It wouldn’t help if Adrien would look for an exact replica; it was evident that the notes were torn of off old sheets of paper. Perhaps it was even stored for too long that made the cream paper have blotches of brown.

A knock on the door disturbed his thoughts. “Agreste, Sinclair is looking for you.”

Adrien heaved out a breath. He planted his hands on his thighs and pushed himself up rather tiredly. He ran both of his hands through his hair, trying to simper down his headache. Last night might not be the only reason for it. He hadn’t been getting enough sleep for weeks. He shouldn’t have strained himself that much. Now he had too many problems to deal with plus a skull-drilling headache.

 _What a time to be alive._ He mocked.

He went to the comfort room to compose himself before attending to Sinclair. If there were a word to describe his appearance it would have been _chaos._ His eyes depicted nothing but tiredness and lack of sleep, dark circles were beginning to take its course, it appeared that he had also lost some weight base from how his face seemed to have slimmed down, his hair was a mess and to top it all off, his nose was starting to feel stuffed.

Adrien sniffled. “What the hell is this?” he wiped his nose and unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt. He might look like someone who had just rolled out of bed but he couldn’t care less. He hated taking medicine- he couldn’t even remember when was the last time he had taken one. He just has to rely on water and rest, he could easily acquire water but it was the latter that troubled him the most. He turned the faucet shut and began to dry his hands on his pants- as much as he hated dampening his clothes. Adrien took one last glance of his chaotic appearance on the mirror, wincing at the sight.

He took a step towards the door but was then stopped in his tracks,

A sudden flush from the cubicles resonated through the room.

It was a good thing that he hadn’t talked to himself about the notes- even though the quarters held spies that came form the same organization that Adrien did. He was deeply bothered by what Jagged had told him- that he shouldn’t trust anybody but himself. Jagged was an old friend of his, but he didn’t know if he should consider that as a reason for doing as what he was told.

But trusting no one but himself had always been one of his options.

Adrien wiped his forehead with his sleeve.

Whoever it was that had caused that sound, that person might not even be a part of their quarters.

Adrien groaned in pain. “You are lucky that I am too tired to knock every cubicle door down,” he turned the knob and said, “You better leave before I regain energy. It would not be lovely for the assigned cleaners to find drops of blood this early afternoon,” he left, not bothering to take a glance back.

If that person would step out of the comfort room, many spies would be in sight to capture him. But Adrien knew too well that the intruder wouldn’t exit through the door.

“There is someone inside the comfort room,” said Adrien as he entered Sinclair’s office.

Nino turned around, “What?”

Adrien exhaled, “There is someone in the comfort room,” he sat down the chair, rested his elbow on the armrest and rubbed his temples as it throbbed once more. Now his shoulder muscles were beginning to ache, too.

“Well, yes, Adrien, people need to pee as well,” said Nino.

Adrien furrowed his brows and kneaded his shoulder. “I never said that the person was in there for that purpose.”

Nino hit his arm making Adrien grimace in pain. “Then why did you not catch him!”

Adrien only managed a grunt.

“Enough with this,” Sinclair said. “That person has probably already escaped through the windows. And I doubt that he gained important information by visiting our quarters, you both know that we do not keep such sensitive data in here. But I shall send out a couple of agents to examine the area,” he turned to face Adrien. “Adrien, are you not feeling well?”

He sat up straight, rolled his shoulders back, sniffed, and looked at Sinclair with drooping eyes. “I feel wonderful.”

Sinclair scowled. “You have not been taking care of yourself, have you not?”

Adrien shifted in his seat, feeling his back ache. “You need not to worry about me, I can worry about myself. Now why have you called us?”

Sinclair sighed and sat back down on his office chair. “The threats seem to have been dwindling down, has it not? I have not heard of any important reports coming from the two of you for quite a while now.”

It was easy for Adrien to mask his lies- his constant sniffling and massaging of shoulder muscles prevents Sinclair from noticing that he was hiding the truth. And he has already mastered the art of lying ever since he had joined this organization. Nino on the other hand, Adrien wasn’t so sure.

“They must be conjuring up a bigger plan than the others as of this moment,” said Nino.

Nino had no idea of Adrien and Jagged’s conversation from the last attempted attack; Adrien hadn’t told him yet. But what he liked about Nino was that he always followed his instincts and surprisingly, most of the time they were accurate. He never left Adrien hanging.

Sinclair nodded. “Did you receive any notes so far? The forensics has been waiting since the last note that I have asked them to examine.”

Adrien sniffled, crossing his legs. He hadn’t been giving the notes that he’s received to Sinclair. He didn’t even bother giving it to the forensics. He could examine it himself and it would be better if less people knew about what the notes held. So long as him and Nino knew, they would be just fine.

“None,” he said with a slight stuffed voice. “Blindsiding us may be their next goal.”

Adrien could sense some doubt in Sinclair’s gaze. It was already expected for a veteran spy like him. He was evidently much better than Adrien and Nino combined. But they excelled him in their own ways. And Adrien was not going to back down. Sinclair might punish him for keeping the notes to himself but he didn’t care, he was doing it for the better of the mission anyways. He would deal with the consequences later. Right now, he had to focus on what he’s set his sights on.

Adrien could also tell that Nino was already formulating questions that he would bombard Adrien with later on. He’s aware of the notes that they’ve received. He must be wondering why Adrien chose to keep it to themselves. In fact, Nino might already know the reason behind that.

“I wonder why is that,” Sinclair’s brows drew in confusion. “Then I guess we must be fully prepared if they decided to keep us clueless of their plans.”

Adrien and Nino gave him a nod of approval.

“All right then, you are now dismissed,” said Sinclair. “And Adrien,”

Adrien glanced back at him.

“For all our sake, drink some damn medicine.”

 

~

 

Adrien was sprawled on his bed surrounded by clumps of tissue and bothered by teary eyes. His sniffles were getting worse by the minute, he’s already drained five glasses of water to keep it from turning into a full-blown cold. Adrien rarely gets sick; fever isn’t even a thing for him. His immune system was even more than all right, the entire office can sniffle and cough all they want but Adrien wouldn’t be affected by it. This time though, it seemed like his headache and other symptoms are going to last for a while. He hadn’t been paying attention to his health after all.

Nino entered the room holding a tray with three glasses filled with water. Adrien pushed himself at the end of the bed as Nino settled the tray down on the bedside table. Adrien grabbed a glass, drank it to the very last drop, placed it back on the tray and lied back down.

Nino cleared his throat. Adrien anchored himself with his elbows, cocking a brow at Nino.

“Do not look at me like that,” said Nino as he sat and offered his hand.

Adrien titled his head at it, wondering why Nino held it out. Having no energy to think it through, Adrien held his friend’s hand.

Nino groaned in exasperation, slapping Adrien’s hand away. “You can be really stupid sometimes, can you?” He shook his head and revealed a small pill that was on his palm.

Adrien cringed. “No.”

Nino widened his eyes at him. “What do you mean _‘No’_? I am not taking that as an answer. You are going to shove this down your damn throat whether you like it or not, you jerk.” Nino swung his legs up the bed and charged at Adrien. “ _You_ are swallowing this medicine, no arguments valid.”

Adrien dodged away and covered his mouth with his hands. He was _not_ going to let that icky pill swim through his intestines.

“Agreste, stop being such a kid!” Nino lunged at him, aiming to force the pill in his mouth. Adrien was quick to duck his head and push Nino to the edge of the bed.

Seeming to have enough of his colleague’s stubbornness, Nino took off his glasses and wiped its lenses with the ends of his shirt. “You want to be difficult, eh?” He placed it back before his eyes with a determined glare. Adrien had no idea of what Nino was thinking but he could get better without that distasteful pill.

“You asked for it,” Nino mumbled. He heaved in a breath before shouting, “MARINETTE!”

Adrenaline kicked in through Adrien’s sickly system. He pounced on Nino, snatched the pill from his hand and swallowed it without the need of water. Adrien coughed at the sudden wave of bitter and unpleasant taste coating his palate. He grabbed another glass of water from the tray, draining its contents as fast as he could.

“My, oh my, Agreste,” Nino was shaking his head at him with a teasing smile.

Adrien’s chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and launched a pillow towards Nino. “Arse.” Adrien glowered.

Nino shook with laughter. “If only I knew that _that_ was all it took to have you take your medicine, I would have done it from the moment I saw you rub your temples,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes. “You should have seen the look on your face.” Nino paused as if to remember Adrien’s expression. He crouched down, slapping his knee as he erupted in another fit of laughter. Adrien was on the brink of throwing him out of his room.

Nino’s laughter was too loud that they didn’t even hear the knock on the door.

“Niño?” Marinette’s head poked around the door. “Am I needed?”

Adrien began swearing at Nino in his mind. How lucky of him to be seen by Marinette in this state.

Nino’s laughter began to dwindle down as he saw the person that had joined them in the room. He blinked his eyes at her, “Marinette?”

Marinette welcomed herself in, quietly closing the door behind her. “I heard you call my name. Is everything all right?”

“Well…” Nino trailed off, glancing at Adrien and then back at Marinette.

Adrien swore to the heavens above if Nino tried doing something stupid he would have to hide his glasses for a week.

“You see,” Nino began, “Chat is feeling a bit under the weather today and I have no idea of what his temperature should be. It would be _very_ kind of you to check it for me-and him, of course.”

 _Damn Nino and his ideas._ Adrien cursed.

“I, um…” Marinette hesitated, “I do not know if I…should.”

Before he could stop it, Adrien’s eyes landed on her. She did look utterly uncomfortable, and she must have thought that he doesn’t want her anywhere near him- which was untrue, Adrien has figured it out himself. Seeing her today lifted up a tiny bit of weight from his shoulders.

“Oh what are you talking about, of course you should,” Nino said, walking behind Marinette and gave her a nudge towards the bed. “He might be dying and I would not have any idea about it because of my lack of knowledge when it comes to health and what not so go on now,” he held Marinette by the shoulders and pushed her down to sit beside Adrien, “this is really a great help for Chat- me, I meant. This is a great help for me since I am his acting nurse and such and I should really stop talking,” he said, shutting his mouth with a pretend zipper.

Adrien glared at Nino who offered him two thumbs up.

He noticed Marinette shift on her seat, seeming to put a distance between them. Adrien could deny all he want but it made his chest stir in a way that he didn’t like. He had been feeling like this ever since she had confessed to him.

Marinette scratched at her ear and tucked a lock of her dark blue hair behind it. He noticed her freckles, too. He loved looking at it whenever he could. He remembered a time when he teased her about it, he said that it looked as though someone had sprinkled an abundance of pepper across her nose. Instead of being annoyed, Marinette just laughed it off. She said that he must be thoroughly looking at her for him to notice that.

Adrien never denied it.

Marinette lifted her hand but her fingers drew back as it approached his forehead.

“Go on,” Adrien said, keeping his gaze away from her.

Marinette pressed her lips and gave him a small nod. She placed her warm palm against his forehead to check his temperature. Adrien noticed that despite of the distance of their bodies, their faces were still quiet close. Close enough for him to see each and every one of her freckles.

Marinette’s eyes briefly widened before she pressed her hand on his cheek, to the side of his neck and then back to his forehead.

He could easily read her before but now it seemed a bit difficult. He couldn’t blame her for putting up her walls though; he did cause her a lot of pain. He deserved every bit of what he’s experiencing now.

“You have a slight fever.”

“What?” Nino asked, surprised.

“It must be because of your cold,” Marinette said as she glanced at the tissues beside Adrien. “You must have fatigue, too,” she continued. “Haven’t you been resting?”

Lying would be no use. Marinette already knew the answer to that anyways.

“Not as much as before,” Adrien admitted.

Marinette frowned.

“Hold on.” Nino interrupted, “Ad-Chat is sick?”

Adrien shot a glare at Nino.

“But he never gets sick.”

The fact that he has a cold surprised Adrien, too.

“The fatigue might be the start of it all,” said Marinette. “You should stay in bed at least for the rest of the day.”

Adrien looked at her in shock.

_The rest of the day?_

If there was anything that Adrien hated more than being sick it was not being able to do anything for hours.

Marinette scowled at him.

How could he forget that she knew that expression of his too well.

“You should not strain yourself too much.” Marinette said, looking away from him. “I still care,” she mumbled.

“Beg pardon?”

Adrien hated her mumbles at times. He could barely hear what she was saying.

Marinette shook her head. “Get some rest and drink lots of water,” she stood up, straightening the skirt of her dress as she did. “I will get some ice for your muscle pains.”

“ ‘Tis all right, Marinette. I shall do it,” said Nino. “Sorry for interrupting you. Chat can be really stubborn when he happens to be sick- which rarely occurs. Thank you very much for your help.”

Marinette gave him a small smile. “No worries. Ask for me if you need anything. I will be more than happy to help.”

Adrien sulked on the fact that she smiled at Nino but never did when she was talking to him.

And why was he getting these kind of thoughts in the first place?

Marinette held the knob. “I will be going then.”

_Stay._

Adrien gnashed his teeth, preventing the word from slipping past his mouth. What was he thinking?

As soon as he heard the door click shut, Adrien fell back on the mattress, grabbed a tissue and blew. He crumpled it in his hand and threw it somewhere around the room. He could still feel Marinette’s warmth from where she sat earlier. He could also smell- despite of the condition of his nose –a hint of her perfume. At least there was a proof that Marinette had really been inside his room; that it wasn’t a hallucination that he was having. If only her scent would linger much longer.

When he glanced towards the door, he saw Nino with a mocking look on his face.

“You wanted her to stay, did you?”

Adrien launched another pillow at Nino, this time, with much force. “Just get me some ice and wipe that preposterous look on your face.”

Nino picked up the pillow from the floor and placed it back on the bed. “I have never seen you blush this much,” he chuckled.

Adrien grunted. “I am not blushing. I have a slight fever, haven’t you been listening to a word she said?”

He did feel a lot warmer than before. His neck seemed a lot hotter and so did his cheeks. His fever might be taking its toll.

“All right, stop glaring at me, will you?” Nino laughed. “I will get you some ice, my prince. _Ciao.”_ Nino saluted before walking out of the door.

Adrien let out a breath. If only there was an antidote that would make him better in a flash, he would drink it as soon as he gets his hands on it. But he knew that it was impossible. Perhaps getting enough rest was the only way. But knowing him, he likes to be active whenever he can- considering his profession, too.

His eyes began to droop as he stared up the ceiling. It would have been delightful if Marinette stayed a bit longer. That was also the first time that they’ve talked in weeks. He missed hearing her voice. He missed her all in all. Adrien was surprised of how much her smile for Nino annoyed him. He was the one that was sick not that birdbrain.

Adrien screwed his eyes shut, burying the thoughts at the back of his mind. It must have been the cause of his fever.

Letting himself drift to sleep, Adrien dreamt of ladybugs, black cats, and a blue haired maiden.

 

~

 

He shifted on his bed as he felt a hint of sweat sticking to his back. _When did it get too hot?_ Adrien pried the thick blanket away from his body and tried to get himself back to sleep.

It was no use. It was getting way too hot.

Peeling his heavy eyes open, Adrien squinted at the light coming from his lamp. He was feeling much worse than before. His body felt heavy and his headache seemed to have not disappeared at all. As much as he didn’t want to, Adrien had no choice but to take the pill from the tray and swallow it down with a good amount of water.

He had rested for quite awhile now but why was he still feeling unwell?

Marinette did say that he should rest for the day, and the day wasn’t over yet. Adrien felt for his pocket watch from the table and checked the time.

_11:30 P.M._

He had to wake up early tomorrow. He should really get back to sleep.

As Adrien was settling himself on the mattress a familiar piercing scream resonated throughout the mansion.

Adrien groaned loudly, rolling himself out of the bed and grabbed his gun.

“They are going to regret waking me up this late at night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to split this chapter in two instead of condensing all of the night's events in one, hence the cliffhanger (sorryyyy about that)- bc my head is already spinning. ~.~
> 
> The next chapter miiiight be delayed for a few days next week- one or two days late, still depends on when I'll get better. But for nowwww, I hope you gaizz enjoyed this chapteerrr. :)))))) *I hope the tad bit of Adrienette was enough, too- even if it probably wasn't. xd
> 
> Thank youuuu for reading this storryyy! Commentss nd kudozz are alwayss appreaciated! :)) <3 :*
> 
> *Stay healthy everyone! *coughs*


	24. Greed and Concede

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which conflicts are raised and lives are taken; and with a confession that may ruin them all.

Adrien sniffled as he slammed his door shut rather loudly. He rubbed his temple with the heel of his hand, taking two steps at a time as he ascended the stairs. His head seemed like it was being drilled down to its very core but he shouldn’t let it stop him from getting to Rose’s room. Other spies in the mansion must have heard it, too. Adrien hoped that Nino was up to his feet before he was. Considering his state, Adrien might not be able to fight as good as he does when he’s well.

And his muscles still terribly ache.

Kicking the door open, Adrien hauled his gun upward, pointing towards the intruder. His black mask was now discarded on the floor as Nino locked his arm around the man’s neck. Alya had come in rescue, too. She hugged Rose at the corner of the room, attempting to calm her friend down. The room didn’t look to thrashed; pillows from Rose’s bed scattered on the floor and her blanket seemed to have come with it as well. Adrien knew that the man was trying to take Rose by force.

“Agre-Chat!” Nino struggled to hold the intruder down. The man was trying to get a hold of his knife that was sitting just beside his foot. Adrien grunted, swiping the knife off of the floor. Adrien grabbed the man by the collar, swerved him around to lock his forearm on the man’s neck, positioning the knife just below the jaw and brought up his gun to point it directly on the man’s temple.

Adrien wrapped the arm tighter as the intruder writhed. “Did you come here alone?”

Sweat trickled down his face. “You can figure it out on your own.”

Adrien’s eyes rolled heavenwards, he pressed the knife down on the man’s jaw, but not too much that would make him bleed. He wanted to get this over and done with so he can go back to sleep. But it appeared like he wouldn’t be dozing off for the next ten minutes. Adrien spotted a cable tie dangling off of a paper bag. He looked at Nino and nodded towards it, asking him to take it.

Adrien kept the knife and gun at their respective places as Nino sealed the cable tie around the man’s wrists.

“I would have been nicer to you if you did not land one hell of a punch on my face.” Nino said, wiping the blood on the side of his lips.

Seeing that the man had already been tied, Adrien took a step back, withdrawing the gun and the knife. Just as he was going to open his mouth to tell Nino to alert the other agents, the man pivoted around, delivering a kick on Adrien’s side.

Which hurt. Really. Bad.

Adrien pressed a hand below his ribs, grimacing at the pain. Sending a deathly glare at the intruder, Adrien rolled his shoulders back.

Nino fastened both of his hands around their bait’s arm, shaking his head at him. “I would not have done that if I were you.”

Adrien seethed with rage charging at the man with his fist intact and as fast as a lightning bolt across the sky, he landed a hard punch against the man’s temple, hitting his pressure point.

“Idiot.” Adrien spat.

“Aaand, he is down,” said Nino as the man dangled in his arms.

“Get him the hell out of here,” said Adrien as he massaged the pain in his neck.

“What in the world is going on?” Alya demanded.

Heavy patters of footsteps echoed through the hall. Just as they expected, other assigned agents in the mansion disguised as butlers appeared before the door with a gun in hand. One of them had specks of blood across his white shirt.

“We caught one from Lady Juleka’s room,” said Stefano.

Rose gasped. “Where is my sister?”

“She is at the maids’ quarters, Miss. I suggest that you and Lady Alya stay there as well. That is the safest place for now. We do not know how many of them have managed to enter the mansion.” Stefano turned to Adrien, “Other agents are with Lady Juleka. The ladies will be secured,” he said, his voice lowered.

Adrien nodded. “All right. Escort them to the quarters. Have the other agents patrol around the mansion. Nino and I will look for evidences and find their accomplices. Barbot might be just around the corner.”

 _Théo_.

If Juleka was at the maids’ quarters and Rose and Alya are with them…

There was still one maiden left.

A loud clunk rang from one of the rooms.

Adrien snatched the gun from one of the agent’s holster. “Hunt every accomplice down,” he ordered. “Capture them alive or dead, I could not care less. Take those bastards out of here.”

Not waiting for the agents’ replies, Adrien dashed to Marinette’s room, gripping the gun tightly in his hand.

He swore that if anything happened to her he would kill whoever it was that caused it.

_I vow._

Adrien went for the door but the knob wouldn’t budge. Another crashing sound resounded from the room making him fret furthermore. Taking a step back, Adrien pointed his gun at the knob, pulled the trigger and let the silver plated knob roll down the floor.

He pushed the door open, ignoring the searing pain on his shoulders.

Marinette swung a curtain rod towards her attacker in perfect stance. The man stumbled back but was able to regain his posture. It took Adrien a moment before realizing that Marinette’s moves were of fencing. He heard her mumble _Riposte_ which was one of the attacks in the said sport. Her rod started toward her opponent’s left- while the man shifted his to his left, ready to block the move –then she quickly switched her rod to his right, striking his side with much force.

The man crouched down hissing in pain.

Adrien felt as though a fool watching a fencing match. His feet won’t move and his head was starting to ache again. If only it would disappear for a few minutes.

Just enough for him to save her.

Marinette dropped the rod as he eyes found him.

“Chat!” she exclaimed.

As if it were an alarm, the man’s head shot up his mouth twisted in pain and fury.

Adrien didn’t get the time to fully see his face as the man charged at him with the rod. Adrien took a step to the side and blocked it with his arm while sending a punch to the man’s stomach. Dropping his gun, Adrien collided his fist with the man’s jaw. He grabbed him by the collar and pushed him back. The man landed on the marbled floor with a loud thump. Adrien knelt down before him pulled on the black beanie that almost covered half of the man’s face to reveal his identity.

Adrien felt his knees weaken as he got a clear view of the man’s face.

“Nathaniel?”

Nathaniel coughed, wiping the blood on his lips. Raising his eyes to Adrien he let out a growl of fury and trampled him down. He took a hold of Adrien’s collars, pulled half of his body a few inches off the floor and abruptly pushed him back down, driving Adrien’s back to slam against the cold marble.

His headache was only getting worse. And what worried him the most was that his dizziness was starting to affect his vision.

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut at the impact and made a move to push Nathaniel off of him. Nathaniel pulled him up once more, this time letting Adrien to limply stand. Gathering up his strength, he launched Adrien towards the dresser that was near Marinette. Adrien crashed against the solid material making him groan in pain. He planted his elbows on the floor, forcing himself to stand up. His hand slipped as he knelt; Adrien fell back down, starting to feel the ache all over his body.

“Chat!” Marinette knelt before him, cupping his face in her hands. “Are you all right?”

Adrien grimaced as he attempted to sit once more. “Leave,” he told her.

Marinette immediately shook her head. “No. I am not leaving you.”

Adrien rested his sore back against the dresser, feeling his head swim. “Please, Marinette. Leave. I beg you.”

“No.” A tear slipped past her eyes as she continued shaking her head. “I am not leaving you.”

Adrien felt his heart clench. After all that he’s done to her…

She still loved him.

“Marinette…” he croaked.

Claps began echo through the room.

“Ah, what a lovely sight this is,” mocked Nathaniel. “I bet the poor maiden does not even know who you truly are does she, Agreste?”

Adrien snarled at him. “Leave her out of this.”

Nathaniel laughed once out of humor. “Not to worry, Agreste. I will make sure that it is not her who is going to be shedding a liter of blood tonight.”

Marinette’s hand tightened around Adrien’s.

“I did warn you, did I, Marinette? I did tell you that, that man is nothing but a ball of lies and secrets,” said Nathaniel. “Still, you do not want to come with me. Why is that?” he pretended to wonder. Nathaniel sauntered towards Marinette and knelt down in front of her. He twirled a lock of her hair between his fingers. “I know for sure that Théo would be much delighted to have you.”

Having enough of the nonsense, Adrien took a hold of the gun that Nathaniel has discarded on the floor and rammed it to the side of his head.

Marinette gasped as Nathaniel fell down. Adrien dragged his feet as he walked to Nathaniel’s spot, bent down and pressed the gun’s muzzle on his forehead.

“Does Sinclair know that you are a double agent?”

Nathaniel snorted. “That man is good for nothing.”

“Who sent you here?”

Nathaniel smirked at him. “Papillon did.”

_So that was what P stood for._

A click of a charged barrel rang in Adrien’s ears as Nathaniel pointed a gun back at him.

He must have brought more than one.

Plotting a scheme in his mind, Adrien placed his gun down on the floor and stood up. Nathaniel followed in suit, still aiming the gun at Adrien.

Looking at him dead in the eyes, Adrien said, “Shoot me.”

Marinette drew in a sharp breath.

Nathaniel chuckled. “Giving up that easily, eh?”

Adrien took a step towards him.

One.

Two.

Three.

Just enough to have the muzzle directly press against his forehead.

“I dare you,” he said.

“Chat…”

Adrien could almost hear the agony in Marinette’s voice.

He didn’t want to look at her. If he did, he knew that he would only run into her arms and stay with her until her tears run out. But now’s not the time.

Not yet.

“Shoot me.” Adrien said once more.

Nathaniel heaved out a sigh and said, “All right, you asked for it.”

This had to go smoothly.

_It had to._

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Adrien wrapped his hand above Nathaniel’s and swerved the gun’s direction towards Nathaniel’s forehead.

And at perfect timing, the bullet plunged on Nathaniel’s head.

Nathaniel eyes were filled with shock and emptiness at the same time. He collapsed on the floor as blood began to pour.

“Y-You p-poor…” Nathaniel coughed, a hint of blood was on his tongue, “l-little…boy.”

And at that, a man had emitted his last words.

He had just killed someone.

He had taken one’s life in front of Marinette.

Adrien didn’t know- didn’t want to know –what her expression was. To say the least, she was probably disgusted of him. Perhaps this would halt her feelings for him.

Nino rushed into the room, his shirt, too, now covered in specks of blood. “We caught six of them lurking in several quarters and rooms. There was some in the basement as well. I suggest we-”

Nino paused as he saw the body on the floor.

“Is…” he blinked at it multiple times. “Is that…”

Adrien spat blood on the floor. “Contact Sinclair. Tell him that his new assistant is a double agent working for Théo’s team. We should conduct an investigation at the headquarters as well. Nathaniel mustn’t be the only one.”

Nino nodded but then his eyes traveled past Adrien’s shoulder.

“Marinette?” he asked.

Adrien could hear his heartbeat drumming in his ears. Sweat was trickling down his spine and every little thing in his body pained him. He couldn’t even bare to hear what Marinette has to day about him.

After a few seconds passed, Marinette finally spoke,

“What is going on?”

Her voice trembled.

Nino glanced at Adrien and then back at Marinette. Adrien could tell that he was having a hard time deciding. This mission, it had already gone too far. They must know.

_They must._

Standing straight, Nino began. “My name is Nino Lahiffe. I am a spy working for an international secret agency.”

Adrien’s heart was on his throat. He could barely breathe. But now that Nino had confessed. He knew what he had to do.

Turning around to face her, Adrien lifted his eyes to hers, never letting his voice falter.

“I am Adrien Agreste,” he said.

“I am spy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late update ToT. I had to withhold myself from writing- bc exams. I'm feeling a lot better now, too. ^w^ Our school year just ended last Thursday and now that summer vacation has finally began, hopefully I'd be able to update with no hindrances. :) 
> 
> *Aaaanyways, I hope u gaiss liked this chapter! (Adrien and Nathaniel's scene was my favoriteee- I sound awful, I know. ^o^) From this chapter onwards....... *winky face*  
> Commentzz and kudoz are alwaysss appericated! <3 Thank u for continuing to read this storyy! Merci !


	25. Vex and Oppress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which assurance began to waver and skepticism continue to arise.

_“Adrien Agreste”_

Marinette let the name roll down her tongue as memories from the last attack emerged from the back of her mind. The name felt and sounded too foreign to her. It might take her a while to get used to calling him with his real name.

She knew that Chat and Niño- Adrien and Nino rather –were hiding something from them but never did she thought that they were spies. They already believed the _Escort_ scheme and were certain that that was what they really were. Marinette was also sure that Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant was aware of their professions. They must have kept it from them to ensure their safety in some way.

She couldn’t forget how much her heart pumped and ached at that time, too. She really thought that Chat was sacrificing himself for her. They still need to patch some things up between them, of course. And she was still feeling a bit of hostility towards him but Marinette knew that she would never get over his death; if ever it did happen. She could have left the room the first time he told her to but she still chose to stay with him. She just couldn’t let the love of her life die without doing anything to stop it. He might not love her back but she still cared for him.

Deeply.

Prior to Nathaniel and Chat’s brawl, Nathaniel tried to convince her to drop the rod and come with him instead. He said that she would be safer if she weren’t around Chat. And that Théo and the others would take much great care of her.

And that was when Marinette first swung the rod towards Nathaniel. Never had she been too disgusted and repulsed. They treat and see her as if she were a doll that can be owned just because she was pleasing to the eyes. She didn’t even want to think of the things they’d do to her if she accepted that ludicrous offer. She would never trade her life for that.

Rose was a bit shaken by the attack, too. All of them were. This time, whoever it was that was threatening the Lavillants, they had gone too far. At first they were all about threats and mild coercions- as how Marinette noticed. But now, they were willing to take someone’s life in peril. It brought chill to Marinette’s spine as she thought of the possibility of witnessing someone die because of this dangerous mission that they were caught up in.

There were times where she thought, what if she had not come to London? What if she continued her studies in Paris and never let Alya know about her plans of taking a break far from home? What if she never set foot in this place?

Surely they’d be much safer and they would have never been included in this mess but then again, so many things had happened over the course of their stay in the mansion. They had grown much closer to Rose and Juleka, Marinette was starting to feel the need of creating something new again, Alya had found new inspirations as well, they made new friends and had learned much from their experience so far.

Also, they met Adrien and Nino.

And Marinette experienced the ups and downs of falling in love for the first time.

So she thought, whatever it was that they were going through, they were going to surpass it- all of them. There was no turning back now.

Alya entered her room and sank down the chaise at the side of her room, laying her arm across her eyes. “A week has passed since that fiasco but I still feel my nerves wreck every now and then,” she confessed. “I keep on thinking about the things that might have happened if certain factors were not put into place.”

Marinette pushed herself up, leaning her back against the cushioned headboard. “Like what?”

“What if I had not heard Rose’s scream and arrived late? Something would have surely happened, right? And what if Stefano had not rescued Juleka from that bastard?” Then, she gazed at Marinette. “What if Chat did not come for you?”

Reminiscing the scenarios made Marinette’s chest constrict. Though it was already over, she too couldn’t stop thinking of the many possibilities that might have happened. Someone could have died apart from Nathaniel. She watched someone’s life be taken away right before her eyes. It frightened the light out of her, of course, but if it wasn’t Nathaniel who died, she knew too well that it would either be her or Chat.

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head to disseminate the memories. “Let us just be thankful that we are all alive and well.”

Alya heaved out a sigh as she sat up. “It know, but…” she trailed off, scratching the back of her head in frustration. “I hate this feeling.”

“I do, too.” Marinette admitted, feeling her energy drain from looking back at what had happened a week ago. “We just have to move on from it, I guess.”

Alya gave her a questioning look before slumping back on the chaise. “I also could not believe that those two buffoons lied to us.”

Marinette stilled.

She wasn’t quite ready to talk about it yet.

“I thought they trusted us. Think about it, Mari.” Alya brought her hand up and lifted a finger. “We trusted them with our lives,” she lifted a second one, “brought them wherever the hell we go,” a third one, “and practically answered almost every question that they fired at us and yet they chose to keep the most important detail of their existence in this world from us. We could have been in much danger thanks to them.” Anya ranted. “Why do I feel so betrayed?” she chuckled, weakly.

Marinette knew that Niño hurt Alya’s feelings by keeping that secret from her. Marinette was, too. Chat could have told her and yet he didn’t. She could have avoided the pain if only he told her that his profession prevented him from loving someone that was involved in his mission.

It wouldn’t have hurt too much.

Marinette hugged her knees to her chest. “Has he spoken to you? Niño?”

Alya huffed. “No. And I do not want to speak with him yet. You know that I have trust issues,” she reasoned.

Marinette knew that Chat and Niño wouldn’t have hid it from them if it weren’t for their situation. Chat often stressed that he wanted to tell her everything but he couldn’t. If anything, it was certainly harder for them to keep their mouths shut while everyone around them was in grave danger.

Marinette already saw how Chat resented the fact that he had to lie and keep things from her.

Alya sat up, leaning back on her arms. “I will be hard for us to forget that we are with spies instead of escorts. I do not even want to think of how uncomfortable it will be once we are accompanied by them once again.” Alya breathed out, “It would not be the same as it was before.”

Marinette knew that too well. She feared that it would add up to the strain between her and Chat.

And she felt that it might be true.

 

~

 

Marinette wrapped a robe around her body as she quietly tiptoed out of her room. Alya insisted that they should sleep in the same room until it feels safe enough to be alone at night again. Rose and Juleka were doing the same thing as well. Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant lessened their out of town meetings with their investors in order to keep in touch with their daughters and guests even more so than before. They stated that if they were in the mansion the night that the attack happened, they should have been the target.

It had been the third night that Marinette decided to escape from her room. It had been the third night where she felt as though she couldn’t breathe properly and that everytime she closes her eyes, it was as if she was going to be transported back to the night when Nathaniel barged in her room unannounced. She couldn’t say that she was traumatized by it, but perhaps she was too startled and disturbed by the event that it prevented her from having a good night’s sleep. Marinette didn’t want t to come to the point where she was going to have nightmares.

A breath of fresh air was all she needed to calm her nerves down. It proved to be effective the first time she tried it. Though she knew that it wasn’t safe to roam around the gardens at night, Marinette couldn’t help but disobey those simple rules. And there were a couple of spies guarding around the mansion anyways.

Marinette stood in front of the fountain at the center of the garden. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, relishing what nature has to offer. A mix of dew and lavender wafted up to her nose as she breathed in once more. Mists of water from the fountain touched her warm face as she remained in her place a couple more seconds. A breeze of cold air wisped past her hair, making the ends brush against her shoulder. If she could sleep in the garden she would have done a few nights ago. Though it might sound absurd, she could help but feel more at ease outside the mansion. But Marinette knew that they were now on the phase where danger was lurking at anywhere they go.

She let out a soft sigh as her eyes flew open. A ladybug has made itself comfortable on her finger. A smile crept on Marinette’s lips as she reveled at the sight. It had been a while since she had seen a ladybug. Perhaps it was a sign; a reassurance that she should trust on the people around her more and let fate take its course in her life and in every aspect of it.

The ladybug revealed its wings beneath its red and black shell, fluttering it.

“Bye, bye, _petite coccinelle_.” Marinette said and the ladybug flew up in the air and disappeared out of sight.

She felt more relieved now that she had some time alone. In all honesty, she never wanted to experience that much fright ever again. And she has also decided that she would keep this from her parents.

A sound of leaves cracking from afar made Marinette freeze on her spot.

It couldn’t be another attack, could it? They have barely even moved on from the last one.

And for heaven’s sake, there was no spy in sight to help her.

Marinette gulped, calming herself.

_Stay positive, Mari._

_Stay positive._

Heaving a breath through her nose, Marinette turned around ever so slowly to see who it was.

Her lips slightly parted as she saw Chat walking down the cobbled path with his head down and his hands buried deep in his pockets.

He was getting nearer and nearer.

Marinette was certain that he didn’t even notice that he wasn’t the only one in the garden now. He might not even notice her.

As their distance lessened, Marinette found her heart pumping harder. The last time that she saw him, she thought he was going to die. Now that she had the chance to see him once again- and this time there were no guns hauled or knives shown –she felt much relieved.

Chat glanced up as he reached the path that lead to the fountain. He halted his footsteps as he saw Marinette. She saw his eyes briefly widen in surprise, but then his gaze went to the ground as he bowed, stepped back and went on his way.

She couldn’t let it end like that.

They had to fix this.

“Wait!” Marinette said as she rushed to the pathway leading to him.

Chat halted, his back facing her.

Gathering up her courage, she began, “Can we talk?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think now’s the right time to say that we only have 10 chapters left?? ToT *EDIT: We only have 11 chapters left. I decided to add one significant chapter :)  
> But hey, what could possibly go wrong? ;)  
> *Sorrryyy for the cliffhanger!*  
> *Also, sorry for taking a looong time to update. I haven't been in my country for a week and I forgot to bring my laptop with me.>.


	26. Confide and Delight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Miss Dupain-Cheng and Mr. Agreste discussed regrets and former grievances that may or may not benefit their growing affections.

Marinette let out a breath through her nose as she felt a weight settling on her chest. She knew full well that Chat had something to do with it. London’s then cold crisp air somehow turned warmer. All she could hear was the sound of the wind blowing through trees and the pumps of her heart. She was beginning to think that asking for them to talk was a bad idea, but then it wouldn’t help on mending whatever it was between them if she hadn’t, would it?

She wanted to know what would be the right words to say or if she should say anything. But there was no harm in voicing out her thoughts. Alya told her many times that when she wants to say something, she should say it once she has the opportunity to do so or else, she might not be able to say it at all. Marinette also remembered her conversation with Niño- Nino, rather –he told her about what Chat was going through and what he had gone through in the past. Marinette couldn’t even imagine herself being locked in her own house for a year. A _year._ If she were in Chat’s condition, she would have lost her mind. She would have not been able to surpass it as much as Chat did. She would have given up easily.

They were sitting down on a bench as they kept their mouths sealed, wondering who would be the first one to speak up. Marinette knew that it wouldn’t be Chat- judging on how rigid his posture was and stoical expression. But she had to speak to him before it’s too late again.

Loosening her grip on her skirt, she said, “So you are a spy.”

It might not be the right thing to say at the start of their conversation but Marinette couldn’t think of anything else but addressing that fact. She did deserve an explanation. All of them did.

Chat kept his head down, his features finally getting softer.

Marinette exhaled, feeling the tension slowly leave her. “I was quite disheartened when you revealed your true identities to be honest,” she admitted. “I often thought if it would have been better if you had not told me. If being clueless about it was what I preferred more. I also thought about how unfair the two of you have been. But then I realized that you probably did not have any other choice but lie if it was for our own safety. And I understand that you are risking your lives for the welfare of your clients that is why I have no right to be enraged by it.”

Marinette gulped as she felt her throat thicken. She should take this opportunity to tell him everything that she’s been bottling up inside of her. The things that she had longed to say to him ever since the night he broke her heart. She didn’t want it to come to the point where she would start to feel numb from all the pain that she tried to keep to herself.

“You could have told me that you could not fall in love with me, though.” Marinette said. “You could have said that it was not allowed. It would have saved us from all the hardships now, would it?” she chuckled, weakly. “But even if you told me, I know that I would still fall in love you,” she confessed. “I know that my feelings would remain and it will not change a single bit.”

Marinette folded her hands on her lap, preparing herself for her second attempt at confessing her feelings for him. It might not go well just as it did before but she couldn’t care less anymore. Nothing would happen if she’d keep on stepping back.

“Even if you do not love me, that is fine,” she began. “Even if you only see me as a friend, that is fine.” Marinette wrung her fingers absently as she kept her tears at bay and her heart still. “It does not matter to me if you would not see me as anything more than that or if you won’t consider me as a possible lover. Because,” Marinette paused, “Because I will make you see me that way,” she continued.

She looked up at him with a smile that she somehow managed to put on her face. Chat who had a surprised and baffled expression on his face was now looking at her, too. “I am not going to give up,” she said. “I will wait for that moment to happen no matter how long it takes. And besides,” Marinette glanced back at her lap, “I am much patient and capable of enduring things than you may have expected, you know?” And remembering Niño’s words, she said. “I am not leaving you. Not even if you make me.”

That could have been Chat’s expectation of what she could be planning of doing when she asked him if they could talk- her deciding to leave him. She wanted to heal his scars. She wanted to make him feel that it was okay to open up. That it was not emotions that make us weak. That he deserved be loved and to be in love.

“I miss you.” Marinette whispered. “Even the never-ending moments when you tease me. I miss that, too.” Glancing up at him once more, she said, “I would rather have that with you than nothing at all.”

And before she could process what was happening, Chat had already wrapped his arms around her and buried his face on the crook of her neck. Marinette blinked in surprise as Chat’s sudden movement stunned her.

“I am so sorry, Marinette.” Chat croaked. His arms tightened around her. “I am so sorry.”

Marinette’s heart thumped at every second that passed by.

“Y-You-”

“Why?” He rather demanded. “After all the pain that I caused you. Why do you still love me?” he rasped. “Why, Marinette?”

Marinette opened her mouth to respond but Chat cut her off.

“I gave you the chance to walk away. To leave everything behind and never look back and yet you-” Chat paused as he swallowed back what seemed like a sob. “Yet here you are. Save yourself from the pain, Marinette. I beg of you…” he trailed off, forcing to mask the torment in his voice.

“I am not leaving you.” Marinette said. She felt herself crumbling inside as she listened to him. Never had he sounded so broken and wretched. In an instant, Marinette forgot her own woes and was replaced with his. She never wanted him to feel as though he was all alone ever again. She grew up in a loving family with friends that loved her dearly but Chat on the other hand…he had not experienced that for the entirety of his life. It was as though he was prevented from having that.

“I never left you before and I am not leaving you now.” Marinette pulled away from him, cupping his flushed face in her hands. “I am going to save you, Chaton.”

His lips slightly parted and his eyes wide as a tear trailed down his cheek.

Marinette pressed her lips on a thin line, forcing herself not to cry. Though it took every ounce of her energy not to let a tear escape from her eyes, she had to be strong for Chat. She had to admit that the sight of him breaking was far more painful than her heart being broken. Nino was right. Someday, Chat would finally break.

And that day was today.

Marinette took his hands in hers, giving it a squeeze.

“Do not overthink and prevent yourself from saying what you want and just say it. People would not hate or abandon you if you show or tell them what you truly feel. It is never a sin. You will only burden yourself afterwards if you choose to say things that you do not want to. Things that you do not mean.”

Chat tried to fight back tears but he remained unsuccessful. Marinette soothed her thumb over his hand to calm him down.

“People will never know how you feel unless you tell them,” said Marinette. “You will never know when is the last moment,” she continued. “That is why while they are still here, while you still have the chance, you should tell them everything that you want and they will listen.”

Chat blinked at her, his green eyes glistening with tears. Marinette could tell that he was hurting. She hoped that he understood and listened to what she said. It was never for her sake in the first place. Marinette was done protecting herself, and Chat had always protected her. Now it was time for her to protect him.

“I could not.”

Chat said.

He gnashed his jaw almost regretting that he said it. But then- almost as if Marinette’s words surged back at him –Chat breathed out, surrendering.

“I could not say what I want to. I have always held back everything I want to say.” Chat admitted.

Marinette swallowed back the forming lump on her throat. “Then say it.”

Chat bit his lip agony, keeping his eyes locked on their hands. “I did not like it.” He began. “I never did. I wanted to go out. I wanted to see my friends. I wanted to be able to do what normal kids could. I wanted to be free.” He then allowed the tears to freely gush down his face. “I hated my father. I hated how he forgot every single one of my birthdays ever since _Mamman_ left us. I hated how he orders his assistant to take down the Christmas tree whenever I think of putting it up. I hated how he never looked for me when I ran away. I hated how he let me wander through the streets. I hated how he let me starve. I hated him…” Chat cried. “I hate the fact that I still might.”

Marinette took him in her arms and let his head rest on her shoulder as his body shook and shuddered.

“I miss her,” he whispered. “I miss my mother. I should have told her that I loved her whenever I could.” Chat wept. “I should have…”

Marinette’s heart ached at the sound of his sobs. It wasn’t too long ago when she was at the same state- but her cries were for a different reason. She would let him cry until his tears run out. Even if it would last as long as the time it takes for the skies to turn blue once more, as long as the stars disappear, as long as the birds start chirping their morning rhythm, as long as the lands are basked with the sun’s glory, and as long as the moon was engulfed by the clouds.

No matter how long it would take.

It wouldn’t matter.

 

~

 

They sat at the bench, their gazes locked ahead and their hands clasped securely on their laps. As soon as Chat had calmed down, he had been avoiding Marinette’s eyes. Marinette understood that Chat needed some silence and peace of mind. But when she made the move of standing, Chat wrapped his fingers around her wrist, gently tugging her back down. She figured that even though he needed tranquility, he still needed someone to share it with.

“How are you feeling?” Marinette asked.

Chat gulped and nodded. “Better,” he said. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

Chat began to rub the side of his neck. “About…” he hesitated.

“Hm?”

“Earlier…”

Marinette tilted her head at him. “When you were crying?”

Chat’s cheeks reddened, “That-I would not-” he struggled for the right excuse. “I guess you could say that there were salty fluids flowing out of my eyes.”

Marinette giggled, catching him off guard. “I will not tell anyone. I promise.”

“Not even Alya?”

Marinette shook her head, smiling. “Not a soul. I will forget about it.”

Chat let out a sigh of relief and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

“Whenever you are in need of opening up to someone, I can always listen to you. It does not matter what it would be about. I will still listen.” Marinette offered. “And I promise to forget if you want me to.”

Chat stared at her intently as if to consider her offer.

“You will forget about it?” asked Chat.

Marinette nodded.

“Will you forget about this, then?”

Chat leaned in and pressed a tender kiss against Marinette’s lips.

Unable to process what was happening, Marinette kept on blinking in surprise, seeming to confirm if it was truly Chat- Adrien Agreste, the love of her life –she was kissing right at that moment.

It couldn’t be a dream, could it?

Her face was warm and so were her lips.

Could it be true?

As her eyes fluttered close, Marinette let herself be enveloped by the temporary bliss.

Now that this happened, she wasn’t so sure if she could keep her promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :****** <3
> 
> The next chapters are going to be soooo fluffy. *-* Thank youuu for (still) reading this fic!  
> Comments and kudos are always~ appreciated. :)) Have a great day! <3


	27. Mocks and Aftershocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which remnants of last night’s events continue its effect towards a gentleman and a maiden.

“Something definitely happened.”

Marinette twirled around in a circle, holding up a dress in front of her nightgown as she stopped before the mirror.

Alya stood behind Marinette, her arms folded while examining her friend’s flushed feature. “I cannot pinpoint the exact reason why it seems like I am being blinded by this light coming off of your skin that is making me cringe and happy at the same time.”

Marinette swerved around, hugging her dress to her chest with her arm and used her free hand to twirl a lock of Alya’s hair as she passed her.

“You look like you have stepped out of a fairytale book and oddly enough, it kind of makes me want to revert you back to your gloomy phase,” said Alya, seeming to have been made uncomfortable by Marinette’s overflowing merriment.

Marinette hummed, swaying and twirling across the room until she reached the bathroom door. She paused and titled her head up with her eyes closed as if to remember something. Then, a dreamy sigh escaped her lips as she entered the bathroom and joyfully closed the door.

Alya’s face wrinkled into confusion and fear. “Just a few more seconds of seeing her act like that and I might be fully convinced that she has lost her mind.”

 

~

 

Marinette stared at herself on the mirror as she decided for her hairstyle for the day. Though she usually puts her hair up, she felt the urge of letting it down. She had tried tying her hair a couple of times but it only led to her pulling it off, unable to make up her mind.

She let out a huff, blowing her fringe to the side. “I should have asked Alya bout this.”

Marinette sat back down on the chair, trying to think of a way to resolve her trivial problem. And as if on cue, last night’s events flashed back on her mind like a hurricane, sending a wave of renewed warmth all over her body and travelled to her cheeks.

Chat crying.

Chat opening up to her.

Chat talking about how he ran away when he was younger.

Chat kissing her.

Chat…

 _kissing_ her.

Marinette buried her flaming face in her hands shaking her head as she did all while squealing. It felt as though her face was going to split in two because of her ever-present smile. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt, too.

Absentmindedly, her fingers flew to her lips. It was almost as if she could still feel the remnants of Chat’s kiss. If only the warmth had lingered longer.

Marinette muffled her squeals as the scene replayed back on her mind.

Realizing that swooning over him would get her nowhere, Marinette squared her shoulders and sucked in her cheeks to prevent her from smiling furthermore. She exhaled a few times before finally regaining her composure.

Marinette parted a section of her hair from both sides and left a generous chunk at the middle. Her fingers wove through her hair as she braided the two sections. After securing them with elastic bands, Marinette twisted the middle section into a bun and then wrapped the two braids around it, adding a small ladybug clip at the side of the bun.

Alya and the others- especially Alya -would surely find out that something miraculous has happened over the night if she let her hair down. Seeing as she rarely does it, they have already considered it as a once in a lifetime spectacle.

Chat might think that she hadn’t forgotten about their kiss, too.

She had to be careful.

 

~

 

“The girls,” Mr. Lavillant began, “how did they react to it?”

“Surprised, shocked, astonished,” said Adrien. “In all honesty, it was better than what Nino and I expected.”

Nino nodded in agreement.

“They could have lashed out on us but they did not. It was quite a relief. Though I have to admit that I could sense a hint of discomfort around them whenever we try to talk to them. But they are still very considerate.” Nino said.

Adrien could sense the tension, too, especially with Alya. Rose and Juleka have always been kind. They were saddened by the fact that Adrien and Nino hid their identities from them but they understood their position surprisingly well. As Juleka said, it had to be done.

And Marinette.

Marinette had been nothing but lovely and caring; as she always was.

“They have not been treating you too differently, have they not?” asked Mrs. Lavillant, concern dripping from her voice.

Adrien shook his head. “They understood our predicaments. We have been spending much of our time in our headquarters that is why we cannot really tell if there are any differences. So far, I will have to say no.”

“Ah, that is relieving,” said Mrs. Lavillant.

Adrien rolled his shoulder back but stopped midway as he felt a bit of contraction. It had been over a week that he was feeling sickly. His cold was long gone- thank the heavens –but now there was a slight cough that was bothering him. He could not even count the times he had attempted to stop a cough from erupting from his mouth. He hadn’t been getting as much rest as he should and he refused to take any medicine that would help in subduing the pain in his muscles. Adrien had to lie to Nino about taking it regularly.

Mrs. Lavillant frowned. “Adrien, are you feeling quite well?”

Adrien buried his hands in his pockets, disregarding the beginning pain. “I am all right, Mrs. Lavillant.”

“It seems to me that you are experiencing fatigue,” she said. “Are you certain that you are well? I can give you a proper medication. I am a doctor after all.”

“Your health must not be overlooked,” added Mr. Lavillant. “Both of you.”

His fatigue has given him much discomfort over the days, but he didn’t want Jermaine and Rosella to be worried about it as well. They already have a lot served on their plates. He did not want to add up to that.

“A few hours of sleep will do me good.” He said. “Thank you for your concern.”

Adrien could hear Nino’s silent grumble.

Nino knew that Adrien wouldn’t be getting that much sleep for at least the next passing weeks. They had a lot to investigate now that P heightened the danger of his attacks. He might target Jermaine and Rosella next.

“Good morning, everyone.”

Rose chirped from the end of the room.

All of the girls walked down the stairs rather gracefully- as expected of them. Adrien and Nino have always been surprised of how they all appeared as if there hadn’t been an attack a week ago.

They were all serene.

But there was one little lady that caught his eye the most.

Marinette looked _beautiful_ \- of course.

She wore a pale pink gown that was outlined by ruffles and lace on the scoop of her gown and on its ends. The sleeves were a tad bit off her shoulder that resulted to a fair amount display of her smooth skin.

_It would have been better if she let her hair down._

Adrien surprised himself by his thoughts.

Turning his head to the side, he pretended to scrutinize the view of the garden.

What in the world was wrong with him?

He had been able to stare her down before but why did he felt not doing so now?

And for all the stars above, why was he feeling hot all of a sudden? He couldn’t be getting another fever, couldn’t he?

“Good morning.” Mrs. Lavillant greeted with a smile. “Are you all headed somewhere?”

“Yes, _Mamman,”_ answered Juleka.

Mr. Lavillant’s face dawned with worry.

Rose giggled. “Not to worry, Father. We are just going to have a quick trip to the main square. And I trust that the _Monsieurs_ are going to accompany us?”

“They must.” Mr. Lavillant breathed out. He turned to face the spies, “Will you be needed at your headquarters?”

Nino shook his head. “We will accompany the ladies. I will have Stefano prepare the coach.”

“All right then be safe. All of you.”

“I will be cooking for dinner tonight,” said Mrs. Lavillant. “It has been a long time since we all dined together. Will you be able to come back before sundown? I might need help as well.” She faced Marinette. “And you have yet to teach me how to bake a proper croissant,” she chuckled.

“A promise is a promise.” Marinette replied.

Marinette mentioned to him once that her parents owned a bakery back in Paris. Adrien might have to pay a visit if ever he finds himself in the borders of France. Though he knew that it might take awhile before he and Nino could get back to their home country.

“You should get going now. The square is not crowded at this time yet.” Mrs. Lavillant said.

“We shall be leaving.” Juleka said as she hugged both of her parents. Rose followed in suit and Marinette and Alya paid their respects before venturing outside.

Adrien cracked his neck, feeling a tinge of pain as he did.

He figured that he wouldn’t have time to rest today, too.

 

~

 

They stood before the doorway, waiting for the coach to arrive. Adrien could already feel his throat scratch. He suddenly felt the need to cough but he didn’t want the others to pick up his sickness. He would have brought a facemask but that would only make him look stupid. Nino would surely tease him about it, too. He just had to endure it for the rest of the day and walk behind the girls as much as he could to prevent himself from spreading his virus too much.

He should have just said that he was needed at the headquarters.

Adrien felt a tug on his sleeve.

“Good morning.” Marinette beamed at him.

As soon as his eyes landed on her, he immediately caught a sight of her freckles.

Adrien steadied his features and refrained himself from cracking a smile. “Good morning.”

“ ‘Tis a beautiful day today, is it?” she said, glancing ahead.

“Indeed.”

“How are you feeling? Are you well?”

Adrien’s head snapped towards her.

She told him that she’d forget.

 _Didn’t_ she?

Marinette was blinking at him.

“You are not sick anymore are you?”

_Ah._

_That._

Adrien looked away, embarrassment bubbling past his stomach.

He thought she was talking about how he cried last night.

Adrien nodded. “I am fine.”

Why did it seem like he was the only one that was feeling the uncomfortable yet soothing vibe between them?

He had to admit that he was impressed- and quite disappointed –that she did, in fact, forgot _all_ about what has happened last night.

 _All_ of it.

“Where are you all headed exactly?”

Marinette shrugged. “I just got tagged along. I did not want to leave the mansion, actually. But I figured that it would do me no good. Seeing as it was Alya that asked us to go to the square, you can expect that we are to enter every shop that caters clothes and jewelry.”

Adrien swallowed his groan. His father was a designer back in France, yes, but he couldn’t say that he was fond of shopping himself. He liked dressing to impress but he never enjoyed looking for clothes. It was one of the few things that instantly make him feel lazy when brought up.

“The coach is ready,” announced Nino, bowing with his hat in his hand and his free arm extended to the carriage.

The ladies entered the carriage with Stefano accompanying their steps. Adrien’s calves, too, felt like hell. That was why he’d rather spend the day in bed today- knowing the fact that he never liked doing nothing –this day, he decided, was a downright exception. He had to restrain himself from walking too limply so that Nino- or the others –wouldn’t notice.

 

~

 

“Feels like hell, does it not?”

Adrien grabbed for his gun, startled.

“Woah, hold your horses. Geez, Agreste.” Nino held both of his hands up, chuckling.

Adrien let out a harsh breath, slipping his gun back in its holster. Walking around felt like crap. And Marinette was right. They really were going to enter each and every shop that had even the faintest hint of clothing in it. It had only been an hour but his feet and shoulders already felt like it was going to disintegrate at any minute. The longest time that he had sat down over the course of the hour was for barely a minute.

_Barely._

“You are really such a pain, are you? How many times do I have to tell you to drink every damn pill I give you?” Nino scolded.

Adrien coughed. “Since when did you become my mother?”

“Punk.” Nino scowled. “Would you rather have me call Marinette?”

Adrien cringed. “No thank you. I do not need two people fussing over my health.”

Nino screwed his eyes shut, rubbing his temples. “Why do I even bother reminding you? You are hopeless.”

Adrien coughed again. “Thank you for reminding me.”

“Monsieur Nino!” Rose called.

Nino shoulder’s dropped. “Oh for the love of,” he mumbled. “Coming!”

Adrien sighed deeply, thanking the gods above for having them call Nino instead of him. He already had the impression that his muscles will be sore by the time they get back to the mansion. He didn’t even know if he would be able to pick up a spoon later on at the dinner.

Adrien was staring at the storefront of the newest shop that the girls have discovered when he caught something at the corner of his eye. Marinette sat at a bench, her legs crossed, elbow rested on her knee, chin perched on her hand. She also had a little pout on her lips. She looked more like a child waiting for a candy than a lady waiting for her friends.

Adrien contemplated if he should join her or not. He did really need to sit down. And he knew full well that the ladies would talk more than ten minutes inside that shop. Standing there- with the ladies able to see him –might risk his paper bag free arms.

Ending his second thoughts, Adrien walked towards the bench and sat down. He had to suppress a sigh of relief as soon as his knees folded.

He gave Marinette a sideways glance after realizing that she had not even noticed his presence. She did look like she was deep in thought. Adrien followed the trail of her gaze, wondering what could it be that was on her mind. Her gaze landed on the displayed gowns on the mannequins by the storefront. Could it be that she was thinking of buying one? If she did, she would have been inside and not here.

 _That couldn’t be it._ Adrien thought.

Finally deciding to ask, he said, “What are you thinking?”

Marinette turned her head to look at him and then back at the gowns. She uncrossed her legs, now sitting properly. “Those,” she said, nodding at the gowns.

“What about them?”

“They are pretty, are they not?”

Adrien looked at the gowns. He wasn’t really an expert in choosing that type of clothing. If he likes what he sees on someone, then he’d consider it as a good dress.

“I guess so. Why do you ask?”

Marinette opened her mouth and closed it again as if hesitating if she should tell him or not.

She turned to face him. “I have mentioned to you before that I study fashion design, have I not?”

Now that she mentioned it, “Yes. You did. Why?”

“Have I told you that I am struggling?”

“With what?”

Marinette breathed out. “Inspiration, creativity, imagination, artistry, need I say more?”

Adrien knew that Marinette was creative. Perhaps it was he impression and inkling of her lacking of those things that kept her from discovering that she might already have discovered new inspirations.

“I am certain that you will succeed in finding those so long as you are to put your mind and heart to it,” said Adrien.

Glancing at Marinette, Adrien saw the she was looking at him with a smile on her face.

Adrien cocked a brow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Marinette shook her head. “It just goes to show that you do think about my feelings,” she said. “Sometimes,” she added.

Adrien scoffed. “I _do_ think about it. All the time.”

“You do?” asked Marinette, surprised.

Adrien nodded.

Her smile seemed to have grown furthermore.

Marinette stood and smoothed down her skirt. “Let us go for a walk.”

Adrien stood. “You do not want to join them inside?”

Marinette shook her head. “I have seen enough clothes for the day.”

 

~

 

“I have just noticed, you have not been properly addressing me for a while now. Is something the matter?”

Marinette smiled, looking away from him as though she had been caught. “I just did not know which name I should call you.”

Adrien’s brows drew together. “Pardon?”

“I do not know if I should call you Chat or Adrien.” She said. “I could call you Chat but it is not your real name. I could call you Adrien but it feels rather… _strange_ to me.”

Adrien drew back. “Strange? How?”

Marinette sighed, hoping to have escaped the route of having to explain it. “I am not used to calling you that. And also it feels as though I do not know this _Adrien_. It is like he is from another dimension. A person that I have not met yet.”

Adrien eyes rolled heavenwards. “But _I am_ Adrien. That is my given name. And you know me better than the others.” He said. “Except for Nino, of course.”

“I know, but it is not like that.” Marinette pursed her lips as she tried to think of another way of explaining the situation. “Just think of it like this.” She cleared her throat. “Try calling me by Elizabeth.”

Adrien was baffled. “I beg your pardon?”

“Just do it!” Marinette insisted.

“Fine.” Just thinking of saying the name already makes him cringe.

“Elizabeth.”

Adrien swallowed back a choke.

“See what I mean?” said Marinette.

“By that do you mean how the name of the Queen does not suit you? Yes, I figured as much.”

Marinette drove her elbow on the side of his stomach. “No, you jerk.”

Adrien clutched his side, his face slightly contorting in pain. It wouldn’t have hurt him that much if it weren’t for his current state.

“All right then, what do you want me to call you?” Marinette asked out of the blue.

Adrien blinked at her. “You are asking for my opinion?”

Marinette nodded.

What did he want her to call him?

Either way doesn’t really matter so long as she recognizes him but there was this part of him that longs for Marinette calling him by his real name. It sounds evidently silly and preposterous but perhaps it had something to do with how he felt for her.

How did he feel for her?

Unable to continue with the debate in his mind, Adrien settled on a decision.

“I will have you decide on that.”

He could have just easily told her to call him Adrien.

_Stupid._

“Adrien.”

Adrien stilled.

It was the first time that she’s formally called him by his name. He didn’t know why but it felt weirdly overwhelming. He was stuck between wanting to hear that again or not because it felt unusual even for him.

He turned away hiding his face. “I think we might have to stick to Chat for now.”

Adrien stopped on his tracks when he felt a tug on his coat. Glancing to his side, he realized that Marinette was now behind him. When he turned to face her, Marinette was glowering at him.

What did he do now?

Adrien furrowed his brows. “Is this the time of the day when we are ready for an argument?”

Marinette pursed her lips.

What was her problem?

“Do not think that I have not noticed,” she said.

“Noticed what?”

“That you have been stopping your coughs for the past hour. And you keep on massaging your shoulder, too. And do not tell me that you have not winced at least once from the moment we left the mansion.”

Adrien stood in shock.

Since when had she noticed that?

Marinette’s nostrils flared. “How many times do I have to tell you to take a rest? I might as well assume that you have not been listening to Nino, too. And that the medicines that I asked him to give you has been put to waste,” she scolded. “I bought that with my own money.” Marinette mumbled.

Adrien inwardly cringed. If he had known that the tablets had come from Marinette, he would have taken all of them.

“There is no helping it.” Marinette grabbed Adrien’s hand. “Come along now. We are going back to the mansion,” she said as she began dragging him behind her.

“Wait. What?” Adrien tried to pull away but Marinette only held on his hand tighter. “The others are still shopping. You do not want to interrupt them, do you?”

“I did not say that we are coming back _with_ them.”

An instant heat dashed through Adrien.

Jerking her hand towards him, Marinette landed on his chest.

Her eyes wide, she looked up at him her cheeks now flushed.

“There is no need to go back,” said Adrien.

The scowl was back on her face. “We are going back whether you like it or not.”

“I told you, I am fine.”

Just as he said that, a cough bubbled past his throat.

_Great timing._

He expected a grunt or a grumble form Marinette but it never came. Instead, he looked down at her and saw that she was lost in her on world. Adrien had no idea of what she was thinking but it only seemed like the blush on her cheeks had only become more evident.

Adrien sucked on the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from smirking. Formulating a plan to retrieve an answer for his question, Adrien leaned down just enough for them to lock eyes. His eyes traveled past her nose and then to her lips. Adrien leaned closer, their noses brushing.

A small gasp escaped from Marinette’s mouth.

Unable to hide his grin anymore, he said, “Are you sure that you are not ill as well? You look redder than I do.”

Realizing what he had been trying to do, Marinette pulled her hand away from him. “Y-You-I,” lost for words, Marinette gave up, stomping ahead of him. “Good luck going back to the mansion on your own!” she called.

Adrien chuckled, shaking his head as he watched her find her way back to the shop. So she was still thinking about it.

Marinette might send him glares of death because of this but it was truly worth it.

Already wanting to tease her again, Adrien tried to catch up to her. “Marinette!”

To hell with all the consequences,

His heart was starting to open up for a certain maiden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wihihihihihihihii
> 
> *Thank uu for continuing to read this story~ ! Comments and kudos are alwayss appreciated <3.  
> P.S. There was supposed to be a scene where Adrien and Marinette got back to the mansion and she takes care of him in his room- it was just the two of them <3\. And Adrien was such a tease that Marinette had to walk out of his room to keep herself from exploding. (≧∇≦) I didn't have enough time so I had to let it go. I'll have to save the rest of the feelsss for the next chapter. :DD ;)


	28. Alibis and Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which tricks and trips are maneuvered to escape a doomed meeting and a never forgotten memory resurfaces.

“No.” Marinette complained. “No. No. No. Absolutely not.”

She huffed in exasperation, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Come on, Mari.” Said Juleka. “It will not last too long, I promise,” she held her hand up as if to emphasize. “Alya has already agreed and so did Rose. We are one lady short.”

Marinette grumbled, the furrow on her brows deepened. Juleka has been asking- pleading –her to join them for dinner later on with a couple of noblemen. Since Juleka’s arranged marriage with Ivan never carried out, now she was free of loveless union that would never benefit her. Juleka mentioned that Ivan eloped with the lady he loved. The marriage got called off just a month ago and up to now, Ivan’s family had no idea of his whereabouts. Juleka had been exchanging letters with him for a while now. She said that he and his wife, Mylène, was now residing in France. It must be hard for them, though. Having to separate themselves from their families just for their love.

“ _Please_ , Marinette?” Juleka tried again. “Four men will be joining us for dinner and I am certain that if only three ladies are to attend, the fourth gentleman will be left out and that might just kill the mood.”

Marinette heaved out a long deep breath. “He will feel just fine.”

“No he will not,” said Juleka with an exasperated tone. “Father arranged this with a close friend of his-“ Juleka paused and decided to reiterate. “Well, his close friend _insisted_ for this to happen, rather. The men are cousins and I have heard that they often receive marriage proposals from various women.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “They do?” she asked, finally looking at Juleka. “They must be really attractive.

Juleka smirked. “Not as attractive as your dear spy, I hope.”

Marinette stilled, feeling warmth spread all over her cheeks. “W-Why, You.” Marinette huffed. “It is not like you are not interested in a certain spy yourself.”

Now it was Juleka’s turn to be surprised.

Marinette gave her a sly look. “So you _are_ interested in Stefano.”

Stefano is quite attractive. His dark brown hair in contrast with his icy blue eyes was probably one of the things that made ladies swoon for him- including Juleka. He was a bit taller than Adrien and Nino and his built showed that he had been training for _years._

Juleka looked away, hiding her face with a curtain of her black hair. “I am not _that_ interested. It is just that…” she trailed off, looking for an excuse. “He is quite different, that is all.”

Marinette chuckled.

Juleka sounded just like her when she was still denying her feelings for Chat- Adrien, rather.

She stood up, patting Juleka’s shoulder. “Just so you know, I said the same thing about _Monsieur_ Agreste.”

Juleka pursed her lips, pinching Marinette side as she did.

“Ow!” Marinette giggled.

“You are coming with us whether you like it or not,” said Juleka before stomping towards the door. She glanced back at Marinette, “You ought to tell Monsieur Adrien about this meeting. I do not want this to be the root of another one of your infamous love quarrels,” she teased.

Marinette grabbed a pillow, threatening to launch it at Juleka. Juleka laughed, finally closing the door behind her.

Adrien wouldn’t mind though, right? He does know that she had feelings for him and Marinette knew that it would be evident that she had just been coerced into joining the others for lunch with the noblemen. Juleka didn’t seem too interested in it, too. She sounded more like she was obligated to do it rather attending willingly. Marinette and the other have been catching her chatting with Stefano for quite a while now. She had yet to ask Adrien about it.

And perhaps she could get used with his real name by calling him that in her head.

 

~

 

“Are you leaving me?” Nino asked with petrified eyes.

Adrien glared at him and then stared at the envelope in his hand. It was highly unusual for his father to write him a letter. Let alone have it delivered while knowing that Adrien was in the middle of a mission. He hadn’t read it yet nor had he opened it. From the moment Stefano handed him the envelope, Nino had been pestering him about his father asking him to leave London.

Nino wrapped his arms around Adrien’s. “Please do not leave me. I beg of you.” Nino pleaded. “The ladies. They are going to pester me about you- especially you know who. And you cannot leave Mari-”

Adrien grumbled, prying Nino away from him. “Shut up, idiot. Let me think.”

How could he possibly thoroughly think about his father’s letter if Nino wouldn’t stop his whining?

Nino gasped and covered his mouth with his hand. “You are leaving.”

Adrien rolled his eyes too hard that it could have been stuck midway. “If you will not stop saying useless and idiotic things I might actually consider it.”

Nino smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry.”

Adrien narrowed his eyes down the envelope. “You do not think that this is a trap, do you? They could have easily copied my father’s penmanship and have this letter delivered to me.”

“Yeah, but Monsieur Gabriel is your father and you are spy. We have been trained to distinguish even the trivial of differences in letters and whatnots. You will easily know if that letter really did come from your father from the moment that you read the first word in there.”

Adrien glanced back at the letter. Nino was right. He knew his father’s handwriting too well. He wouldn’t be fooled if ever the letter was mocked. It would be foolish of P- Papillon rather –to set up a trap for them with the use of a mock letter. Neither of them would fall for that.

And of all the things why did that sick of a man choose Papillon? Butterflies are too pure to be used as a codename for a person who’s good for nothing. Adrien might never look at butterflies the same way after this mission is over and done with.

“Agreste, Lahiffe.” Stefano called. “You are needed on standby in the dining room by dinnertime.”

“I assume that we are not going to be eating a single thing?” said Nino.

Stefano chuckled once. “No. You are to guard the ladies. A few guests are coming.”

Nino sighed. “Why am I not surprised?”

“It is going to be a date, I believe.” Stefano added.

Adrien almost choked.

Nino seemed to have stopped breathing.

Adrien blinked at Stefano. “Beg pardon?”

 

~

 

“I think I am going to be sick,” said Alya as she massaged her temple.

Marinette ran her hand up and down Alya’s back. She, too, felt like she was going to be ill. They hadn’t even seen the gentlemen and yet Marinette already wanted to rush back to her room. She could tell that Rose and Juleka didn’t want to participate in this, too. So did Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant. As what Juleka said, this meeting was rather forced onto them.

Marinette hoped that none of the spies would guard whilst having dinner- _none_ of them. She hadn’t told Adrien about it yet and she was thinking of not telling him at all. It might not even faze him the slightest.

“I need a drink.” Alya rushed towards one of the butlers and chugged down a glass of cold water.

Alya’s instincts were always right. That’s one of the many things that Marinette knew through the course of the friendship. If Alya didn’t feel like doing it or she would rather stay inside her room, it only meant one thing- Marinette and the others should follow in suit. Marinette wasn’t even looking for someone. Who knows, this meeting might lead to an unexpected planned engagement.

Marinette prayed to the heavens above that it wouldn’t be her.

“And here you said you liked me.”

Marinette jumped at the voice.

She swallowed as a chill run down her spine.

_Oh no._

“H-Hi,” she greeted.

Adrien gazed down at her and then fixed his eyes forward. “Hello.”

Marinette felt all sorts of awkwardness and embarrassment. What should she tell him? She didn’t know that he would actually talk to her about it. She wasn’t even sure if he was truly bothered by it or if he was only teasing.

Adrien fished for his pocket watch and checked the time. “The gentlemen will arrive in ten minutes. You should get ready.”

Marinette’s brows rose.

_Ready?_

She looked down at her dress and then at him. “But I am ready.”

Adrien stilled. He looked at her with scrutiny in his emerald eyes. “Are you honestly wearing that?”

Marinette nodded.

Her dress was fine. It was plain white, yes. And it ended just above her ankles. It wasn’t exactly plain since there where little cream flowers adorning the linings. It was one of her favorite dresses, in fact. But she had to agree to his reaction.

Adrien sighed deeply, as if he was a stylist that was clearly disappointed in his client’s choice of clothing. “Marinette, you are meeting with noblemen from God knows where. You should put on a dress that will have an appeal towards at least one of them.”

Marinette huffed, folding her arms across her chest. Was he really asking her to allure one of those men?

“Well, I do not want to _appeal_ to any of them.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I only like you.”

Adrien froze.

Marinette stared at him, surprised that those words had burst out of her mouth. But she was also happy that she got to say it to him once more.

She could also see a hint of blush in his cheeks.

Adrien let out a breath though his nose. “You can really be dense sometimes, can you? You do realize that someone could have heard you.”

“And what is wrong with that?” Marinette deadpanned.

Adrien’s shoulders slightly slumped as he breathed out. “I am a spy, Marinette.”

Marinette pursed her lips at him.

_Here we go again._

“And I told you that I will wait and I do not care,” she said.

Adrien glanced at her and chuckled. “Of course you do not.”

At least he finally got his head wrapped around the fact that she really wasn’t going to back down without a fight.

“That is why I think attending this dinner is pointless,” Marinette lamented. “Not only for me but for the others as well. The only one that might be slightly willing to do it is Rose. But she won’t be joining if Juleka would decline.”

Adrien cocked his head to the side. “Juleka?”

Marinette scanned the room with her eyes to find Juleka. “There,” she nodded at her direction. “She is quite interested in Stefano and that is saying something. Juleka rarely finds a man that is fit for her interests.”

“Stefano…” Adrien trailed off as if to assess him. “He is a good man. One of the few spies that I trust in our organization.” He turned to face her. “Do you not want to test fate’s luck with the meeting later on? Someone might even be fascinated with you and as far as I know the noblemen that is set to come here are all reputable.”

Marinette grumbled, her face twisting in annoyance.

_How can he be so obtuse?_

Marinette heard him sigh. “You are only interested in me, I know,” said Adrien.

She blew on her fringe. She really had no plans of talking to any of the men and she would rather be stuck in her room doing nothing. Alya was now resting on the parlour and Juleka was still talking with Stefano. Rose on the other hand, was trying her best not to fall asleep.

“Five minutes.”

Marinette snapped her head at him. “What?”

“They will be here in five minutes.” Adrien informed. He placed his hand on the small of her back, beginning to guide her to the entrance. “You all must welcome them inside.”

_What?_

Marinette looked back and saw that Nino was trying to convince Alya to peel herself away from the chaise, the smile on Juleka’s face had turned stiff and Rose had completely fallen asleep.

They should have known that the planned dinner wouldn’t be happening right then and there.

Coming up with a plan in her mind, Marinette said, “Help me with this.”

Adrien stopped in his tracks. “What?”

Marinette slipped her foot to the side as a butler was rushing to the entrance with a tray full of tall glasses filled with champagne balanced in his hand. The butler tripped, sending all of the glasses down the floor and shattered in a million pieces.

She better act fast before the men arrive.

“Ow! It hurts!” Marinette whimpered. “I think a shard might have pierced through my leg.”

“What are you doing?” Adrien hissed.

Juleka stared at her, jaws slack. Marinette gave her a sly wink. Realizing Marinette’s acts, Juleka followed. She clamped her hand down on Stefano’s shoulder and pretended to limp. “I think some might have gotten to my leg, too.”

Alya immediately stood up, sprinting towards Rose. “I will help Rose get to her room!” She shook Rose by the shoulders, making Rose’s head dangle back and forth until her eyes shot open. Not wasting any time, Alya grabbed her hand and bolted to the stairs.

“Hey-wait!” Nino called at Alya. “This does not look good,” said Nino with concern. “Adrien, Stefano, get the ladies to their rooms and aid their wounds. We cannot risk it getting infected.”

Adrien blinked at him in confusion. “What? But-”

“ _Ow_!” Marinette belted out again.

Adrien grunted, slipping his arm around her waist and the other behind her knees and swiftly lifted her up.

Marinette had to stop herself from blushing and smiling at the same time.

“Idiot.” Adrien muttered.

Marinette bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

She couldn’t believe that her facade worked.

 

~

 

“Stop dangling your legs, will you?” Adrien complained as he pushed the door open.

Marinette had been happily dangling her legs all the way to her room as they escaped the doomed dinner with the noblemen. Though she felt bad for the butler, she couldn’t just let herself- and the others most importantly –be a part of something they didn’t want to do. She knew that it wouldn’t end well if they forced themselves to be fine with it.

Adrien settled her down the bed and twisted his body, eliciting a crack from his back.

“Heavens, I did not know you were that heavy.”

The smile on Marinette’s face wavered.

She fixated her glare at him. “Do you want me to tell Nino about how you cried-”

“You were light as feather, Marinette. It was a great honor for me to carry you.” Adrien smiled at her too sweetly.

Marinette snickered. “Liar.”

Adrien let out a deep breath. He unbuttoned his coat and sat next to Marinette. “What do we do now?”

Marinette shrugged. “We will wait for those men to leave the mansion, I guess.”

“I cannot believe you dragged me into this.”

Marinette turned to him. “Into what?”

“You pretending to be hurt.”

Marinette chuckled. “It was worth it, though. At least now, Juleka does not have to fake a smile since I believe she is with Stefano right at this moment. Rose is probably sound asleep in her room. And Alya might be having a banter with Nino.”

“You did it for them, then?”

Marinette paused. Now that she thought of it, it looked like that was the case. She thought more of them than with herself. She was happy that they got a loophole to avoid meeting the men. Who knows what could have happened.

“You really are selfless, are you?” asked Adrien.

Marinette didn’t know how to answer that. Most of the time, she acts before she thinks and she couldn’t exactly say that the outcome of those actions had always been positive or successful. Alya had always scolded her about that.

She clasped her hands together, resting them on her lap. The room was too quiet. All she could was her and Adrien’s breathing.

_Adrien._

It was only the two of them in her room.

And they were sitting _right next_ to each other.

Heat stained her cheeks as the realization hit her like a chair to the face. She had never been alone with a man in a room for this long. And knowing that the man she was with was the man she loved, it didn’t help calming her down.

Her heart was practically pumping out of her chest.

_What should I ask him?_

_Should we even talk?_

_Should I tell him to leave?_

_But I do not want him to leave._

Marinette held her hands tightly, her nails almost digging down her skin. It would have been much easier if they were bantering instead of not speaking to each other at all. Now she felt all sorts of self-consciousness. Adrien did say something about her dress not being appealing enough. Could it be that it did not appeal to him as well? Should she change?

Marinette wanted to slam her head against a wall for having a long line of knotted thoughts.

“Did you make this?”

Marinette stopped herself from jumping.

Adrien was holding a couple of sketches that she left on her bedside dresser. She made a move to take it away from him but she figured that it would be no use. He’s already seen it anyways.

“I did,” she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Adrien examined the sketches, his brows furrowed. It made Marinette feel nervous. He looked like he was really putting a thought to reviewing her creations. And it almost seemed like seeing sketches like that weren’t new to him.

“These are really good, Marinette.” Adrien complimented.

She widened her eyes at him. “Really?”

Adrien nodded. “You have your own style of designing that puts you aside from others. Not negatively, though. People tend to look for new trends these days. I have to say that your designs might just be what they are looking for.”

Marinette blinked down on her sketches. “Do you really think so?”

He nodded once more as he handed her the papers.

It was good to hear someone’s opinion about he designs. The only people that she’s asked so far were the girls. Back in Paris, she rarely asks her parents for their opinions. Hearing what Adrien has to say about he designs was really refreshing.

“When will you graduate?”

“A couple more years.”

Marinette hoped that those years wouldn’t feel too long.

“My father is a designer in Paris.” Adrien began. “When you graduate, perhaps I can help you through my father’s connections.”

Adrien rarely talks about his father. It surprised her that he mentioned him now. Marinette never assumed that his father was a fashion designer, she never even dared. That must be why there was never a day that Adrien didn’t look dapper. And that must be why he seemed knowledgeable about fashion.

“May I ask for the name of your father?”

“Gabriel Agreste.”

Marinette almost fell off the bed.

Her lashes fluttered as she stared at him.

It couldn’t be…

“T- _The_ Gabriel Agreste?” She asked. “You-you are the son of _that_ Agreste?”

Adrien cocked a brow at her. “Yes. Is that so hard to believe?” he chuckled.

She gave him a once over. He did kind of looked like him. “No. Not really,” she admitted. “You do look like a model,” she mumbled.

“Pardon?”

Marinette shook her head. “Nothing.”

Adrien Agreste.

How could she have never thought of it?

Gabriel Agreste was her role model when it came to the fashion industry. Whenever he released a new line of gowns and suits, it only takes a week for all of those clothing to sold out. Marinette doesn’t have a Gabriel Agreste clothing of her own- not even a single glove –for not only it gets easily sold out, it was also very pricey.

And to think that Adrien was the son of Gabriel Agreste…

The spy whom she’s been bantering with for as long she could remember, the one she kept glaring at, the one she teased and annoyed for as much she could-

Marinette hung her head, feeling all of her hopes of working for Gabriel Agreste disperse in the air.

Should she start being kinder to him?

Perhaps she should let him tease her as much as he want as well.

Oh, what in the world should she do.

Marinette let out a harsh breath and looked at Adrien, her brows drew together. “Why did it have to be you?” she said rather exasperatedly.

Adrien laughed. “So that is what you have been thinking.”

Marinette scratched at her ear, her agitation building up by every second that passed by.

“Ah, well, I can introduce you to my father as the lady who miraculously fell in love with me in London.” Adrien teased.

Marinette’s nose flared. “Jerk,” she muttered.

Her falling in love with him wasn’t a miracle. He was easy to love, in fact. Though the whole process wasn’t as smooth as she thought it would be but thinking of how things might turn out in the future was what pushed her to keep going.

“Have you not found any inspiration for designing yet?” Adrien said out of the blue.

She shook her head.

There was never a day that went by where she hadn’t thought of it.

“Draw for me then.”

Marinette looked at him, surprised of what he said.

Adrien gazed ahead. “When you are enlightened or sad or even if you feel angered by me,” he began. “Do it. I will be much happy to know that you are in the process of creating something magnificent all while thinking of me,” he finished now looking at her.

She took in the sight of him and his sincerity. Marinette wanted to kiss him right then and there but she was afraid that he might only reject it.

She decided that she’d keep her lips to herself.

Adrien glanced at the door and then back at her. Taking her hand in his, he said, “Come with me.”

 

~

 

“Where are we going?”

It was the second time that Marinette asked but just as the first one, Adrien kept his mouth shut.

They stopped before the door to his room.

What were they doing there?

Adrien turned to her. “Close your eyes.”

“What?”

He smiled at her. “Just close it.”

“Fine.” Marinette said as she finally did what she’s told.

She heard the creak of the door and the instant shift of scent from freshly baked pastries wafting from the kitchen to a hint a mint and spice.

Adrien guided her inside the room as she kept her eyes screwed shut. They stopped at a particularly spot before Adrien slipped his hand away from her.

“Stay here,” he whispered on her ear.

Marinette almost quivered at his voice.

She could hear his footsteps grow fainter as he walked further into his room. It also seemed like he was picking something up when a sound of a heavy object sliding off the floor resonated in the room.

Marinette waited patiently for a few more seconds when Adrien found her hands again.

“Can you tell me what is going on?”

She only heard Adrien’s chuckle.

“You may open your eyes now.”

She fluttered her eyes open. Her sight was a bit blurry considering how hard she closed her eyes for more than a minute just to make sure that she wouldn’t see anything-not even a hint of light.

But as soon as her vision adjusted to what was displayed in front of her, Marinette only managed a gasp.

The _Miraculous._

It looked just as majestic as it did the first time she saw it. The little ladybug. And the green-eyed cat that she knew too well. It was all right in front of her.

“H-How?” she struggled to form a sentence.

“Do you remember when went to that gallery and I told you that I was going to find the comfort room? I lied.”

Marinette turned to him. “What?”

Adrien gave her a smile and faced the painting in front of them. “This might help you find inspiration,” he said. “At first, I only considered it as a gift to thank you for trusting me in guarding you. And when you told me that someone might even love it more than you do, I knew that no one could ever surpass your admiration for that painting. And that I would rather want you to smile as you look at it than let a random stranger to do so.”

Marinette felt her eyes well up as she gazed at him.

“I was supposed to give it to you on your birthday but then I figured that we might be miles apart by then.” There was a hint of glum in his voice. “And so I told myself that I will give it to you when the time felt right. I guess you can say that I finally found the prefect timing,” he said with a chuckle.

Marinette’s heart ached- in a good way. It ached because somehow, in a matter of seconds, it filled up with nothing but love. She felt as though she was glowing from the inside out. She didn’t think that she could love him more than she already does. Turns out she had a lot more love to give.

When Adrien glanced at her, his features worried. “Are you all right?” his voice was full of fret. “Do you not like it?”

Marinette sniffled and giggled. She wiped her tears with the back of her hands. “I love it you silly cat.”

Adrien let out a sigh of relief. “Then why are you crying?”

More tears flowed down her face as she smiled up at him. “Because I am very happy,” she wiped the new tears away. “I never would have thought that-” Marinette hiccupped. Giggling off her embarrassment, Adrien chuckled at the sight of her. “This is so embarrassing,” she admitted. “This must have been very expensive. You really should not have bought this. I told you that I was fine with just keeping its image in my memory.”

But still, she was thankful. This could be the best gift she has ever received- or would ever receive.

“Buying it was worth it.” Adrien said, his eyes locked with hers.

With him looking at her like that, she could almost feel as though…he felt the same way as she did.

Marinette looked away, wiping her nose. “My nose is running,” she giggled, turning away from him.

It would be unladylike of her to just wipe her nose with the sleeve of her dress. She would have done that already if Adrien wasn’t in front of her.

“Here,” he handed her a handkerchief. “Use this.”

Marinette took the handkerchief from him and blew. Adrien laughed heartily.

She wiped her nose clean and clutched the fabric in her hand.

Marinette breathed out deeply, still feeling the tightness in her chest. “This is amazing,” she chuckled.

She didn’t know if she should look at him or not. It was as if a bunch of people was singing her a happy birthday and she had no idea who or where to look at.

But she had to thank him.

Marinette knew that words wouldn’t be enough to convey her thoughts and feelings at that moment. And so she thought of a better way.

Gathering up her courage, she went towards him, wrapped her arms tightly around his body and buried her face on his chest.

She felt him still for a moment.

Nothing but warmth filled every fiber of her being. Was this how being with the person you love felt like?”

“Thank you, Adrien.” Marinette said and nuzzled her face on his chest. “Thank you for everything.”

Fresh happy tears slipped from her eyes as Adrien coiled his arms around her.

He kissed the top of her head. “I should be the one thanking you, I believe.”

She tapped his side. “Do not be silly.”

They stood there for a few moments, comfortable in each other’s arms. Marinette’s sniffles and hiccups started to dwindle down and Adrien kept her locked in his embrace. It wasn’t too long ago when she thought he rejected her, when she thought that they could never go back to the way they were and when all seemed too impossible. It turns out that there were a lot more planned for the both of them.

Adrien pulled away but not too much that would break their embrace. He cupped her cheek in his hand, soothing it with his thumb. Marinette stared up at him. She wasn’t so sure of it but it seemed like his pupils dilated as he looked at her.

Adrien leaned closer.

And closer.

Marinette could feel his breath on her lips.

And before she could even swoon at the fact that their faces were dangerously close, Adrien was already kissing her.

Where before, their first kiss was gentle and unsure. But now, it was a whole lot different. Fervent even. His hands burned her waist and his lips were warm and soft as it continued to shift against hers. Marinette clutched the lapels on his coat for dear life as their kiss went on, and on. She melted in his arms and if it weren’t for his hold on her, she would have already collapsed on the floor.

Adrien pulled her closer, flushed against him. Marinette’s hands had made their way to the back of his head, her fingers slipping through his soft hair. She wouldn’t have thought that this could happen when she pretended that she was hurt earlier. She wouldn’t have imagined this happening today. Period.

Adrien was full of surprises. Every moment that she spent with him overflowed with spontaneity.

Even now.

Feeling the need to breathe, they broke their kiss and the room was filled with their erratic breaths.

With their eyes still locked with each other, Adrien’s lips formed a small smile before it found hers again for a peck.

And another.

And another- this one lasting a little longer.

Their chests now slowly returning to their normal pace of going up and down, Marinette decided to ask him a question.

“Why did you kiss me?”

Adrien stifled a snort. “You wanted me to, did you not?”

A renewed heat crept up to her cheeks. Marinette unburied her fingers from his hair and rested them back on his lapels as she hid her face on his chest. She gazed back at the painting in front of them, marveling at its meaning.

“It truly is miraculous, is it not?”

Adrien hugged her tight. “Indeed.”

They stood there staring at the Miraculous, still in their embrace. Marinette didn’t know how much time had already passed by but it didn’t matter so long as she spent it with Adrien. It was rare for them to have moments like this, where it was just the two of them and having enough audacity to encourage their feelings. And so Marinette cherished every single second that passed. She certainly hoped that this wouldn’t be the last. She hoped for the heavens above to give her more moments like this with him in the future.

“My father,” Adrien stroked her back up and down. “He sent me a letter today.”

Keeping her eyes on the painting, Marinette said, “What did it say?”

“I have not read it yet. I am not sure I want to.” There was a clear tone of doubt in his voice.

“I think you should,” said Marinette. “He is your father. He might want to know how well you are doing here.”

A few heartbeats passed before, “All right.”

Marinette snuggled closer to him. She touched her lips as if to validate if their kiss did indeed happen.

A giggle escaped her mouth as she realized that her lips were still tender.

“What is it?” asked Adrien.

She shook her head. “I was just trying to confirm that I was not dreaming a while ago.”

Adrien’s body shook in amusement. “Do you want me to kiss you again?”

Marinette shook her head once more- against her better judgment. “I think we had enough for today.”

She might even forget to breathe if they’d have a go at it again. And she couldn’t risk being interrogated by Alya.

“Marinette.”

“Hm?”

He rested his chin on the top of her head. “You do not have to wait much longer anymore.”

She looked back up at him, confused of what he said. “What are you talking about?”

“Nevermind,” he said, forcing her head to rest back on his chest.

“Hey-”

“Do not make me kiss you again,” he warned.

Marinette pinched his side. “Jerk.”

And they both stood there, unable to wipe the smile off of their faces as their feelings grew and grew…

…and grew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wihhihihihihihihihihihi *3*


	29. Passion and Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a heart-wrenching decision was made in the midst of a dangerously ignited passion.

Marinette hummed to herself as she ran the brush down her hair for the seventy-fifth time. Her mother did tell her that it was a good thing- healthy even –to brush your hair one hundred times a day. And she was planning on letting her hair down today so she had to make sure that she wouldn’t look like she had just rolled out of bed.

She stood up from her chair after reaching the one-hundredth stroke of her hair and swept it all back. She had trimmed her hair enough for it to rest just below her shoulders with the help of a maid. Her bangs didn’t bother her as much now, too. Since it had always tickled her eyes before when she refused to have her hair trimmed. She might consider cutting it to its length before, though.

Marinette stopped on her tracks as her gaze landed on a familiar object. A giggle bubbled up from her throat as she walked towards the painting that was securely covered with a clean white cloth. She knelt in front of it, running her fingers across the cloth as memories from when she received it flowed back to her. It almost seemed as if it had just happened yesterday when in truth, it was gifted to her about a week ago. Still, her emotions from that moment refused to leave her mind.

Not that she wanted it to.

She pressed the tips of her fingers on the cloth before standing up and smoothed her dress. It didn’t felt too long ago when she shared a quite intimate moment with Adrien. Sadly though, it hasn’t happened again. And they barely talked about what had happened in his room. But Marinette could tell that something had changed between the two of them. They had become accustomed to the exchanging of silly smiles and teasing glints. Though they do not talk about what had happened with the Miraculous, they still do acknowledge it in a way that it was rather coy.

The girls weren’t particularly planning on doing something today so they had the time to relax in the mansion. Considering how they relentlessly tried to escape an attempted reschedule of a dinner with the noblemen- not once but perhaps more than thrice. Marinette wouldn’t be able to stomach it if ever that was to happen again. Also knowing the fact that Adrien would be in the room watching and guarding them didn’t put ease to her as well. She would rather be with him than spend time with those men that she didn’t have any speck of interest in.

Marinette arrived at the grand foyer and was immediately greeted by Alya.

“Good morning, Mari.” Alya greeted with a smile.

It seemed like Alya and Nino were getting along well, too.

“Good morning,” Marinette chirped back.

Alya walked beside her and laced her arm with Marinette’s. “It is quite cold today, is it?”

At that, Marinette shivered. “Indeed so. I have checked the weather report from yesterday and it said that London is likely to have a rather warm weather for the rest of the week. I wonder-”

Marinette stopped when she noticed that Alya had been eyeing her.

“What?”

Alya narrowed her eyes at Marinette. “I have been noticing for quite a while now but I decided to keep my mouth shut. But I have to ask,” she paused, gazing deeper into Marinette’s eyes making Marinette lean back. “Why have you been letting your hair down?”

Marinette blinked at the sudden question.

“Why?”

Alya titled her head. “Nothing, just…” she trailed off and leaned forward again with a skeptical look. “You only do that when you are desiring for a certain spy’s attention. So I wonder what could have happened.” Alya said, stroking her chin.

Marinette swallowed, a flush creeping up her face.

She hadn’t exactly told Alya yet about their kiss.

Alya suddenly gasped. Marinette stumbled backwards, balancing herself just in time before completely falling over.

Her heart began drumming.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Alya folded her arms across her chest and settled her weight on one foot. “I _demand_ you tell me what happened.”

Marinette fiddled with her thumbs, keeping her eyes locked down on the floor and chewed on her bottom lip. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell Alya about it, it was just that…she enjoyed keeping their little secret to herself.

But that would be selfish of her, would it?

“I…um.” Marinette tucked her hair behind her ear. “We-We kind of…well-I-he,” she cleared her throat, telling herself to just say it. “We might have… _kind of…_ ” she trailed off, tapping the tips of her index fingers against each other, “kissed?”

Marinette peered up at Alya through her lashes. Alya’s jaw had gone slack and her glasses had slid down her nose and her eyes were as wide as saucers.

_This is not good._

“Son of a bi-”

Marinette clamped her hands down on Alya’s mouth.

“Alya!” she scolded.

Alya yanked Marinette hands away from her mouth. “Don’t you dare Alya me!” she whispered-hissed. She looked around them to see if anyone was near enough to hear their conversation. She grabbed Marinette by the arm and dragged her to one corner. “Are you serious?” she asked, lowering her voice. “Why did you not tell me!” she half-whispered. “Heavens above you _canoodled_ with Chat _aka_ Adrien Agreste, the man whom you have been crushing on for who knows how long.”

Marinette grimaced. “We did not _canoodle._ ”

“Then how will you describe it?”

Marinette exhaled, giving up. “Fine, it might have been like that.”

The color drained from Alya’s face. “Are you fucki-”

“Alya!” Marinette cut her off.

Alya huffed, tapping her foot against the marble floor. She stood straight, rolled her shoulders back, adjust her glasses and took a deep, deep breath.

“All right,” she breathed out. “I have calmed down.”

“Thank goodness.”

“But hold on a second. When in the world did that happen? And why have you not told me? Where were you? Where was I? What did you feel? How did you end up doing that? You better answer all of those damn questions Marinette. I am dying here.” Alya demanded.

Marinette pushed her lips to the side, deciding if she should concede.

But then she didn’t have any other choice anyways.

“It happened when we escaped that dinner with those noblemen,” she began.

“Next question.”

Marinette heaved out a heavy sigh. “I did not tell you because,” Marinette reconsidered but decided to tell the truth, “because I wanted to keep that memory for just the two of us a bit longer.”

“Understandable.” Alya nodded. “Next.”

Marinette’s blush deepened. “We were in his room.”

Alya took a sharp breath. She held up a hand when Marinette made a move to cover her mouth. “ ‘Tis all right, I am not going to curse. Continue.”

“I do not know where exactly you were then but I remember Nino chasing after you and Rose so I assumed that you were with him.”

Alya thought about her reply. “Maybe.”

“Alya,” Marinette whined.

“Fine! I was with him,” she admitted. “And I will tell you all about it after you have answered all of my questions. Continue.”

Marinette smiled at her friend. _So they were together._

“It felt amazing.” Marinette swooned. “Everything felt perfect and I almost wanted it to never end-”

“But you need to breathe.”

“The _moment,_ Alya. I was talking about the _moment_ not the kiss.” Marinette giggled.

“Whatever.”

“It was wonderful. And he was so kind and charming and just when I thought that I could not love him even more, I was proven wrong. And right then and there I knew that he was not giving me false hopes because even if he won’t tell me I know that he was being sincere as he always is. I just,” Marinette paused, reveling at how much her heart felt too full, “I love him. So much.”

A genuine smile spread on Alya’s lips. She took a step towards Marinette and gave her a tight hug. “I am happy for you, Mari. Truly.” She pulled back and rested her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “I hope everything works out between the two of you.”

Marinette smiled back at her. “I hope so too.”

“Just listen to your heart _and_ mind- never forget that because we must not only rely on the thing that pumps blood throughout our body.”

Marinette giggled.

“Just be honest with yourself.” Alya advised. “Now, next and I believe the last question.”

Marinette ran the questions through her head, trying to remember the last one.

“Ah, yes. Well, I hugged him and them he embraced me back and we stood there for quite a while looking at the painting that he gave me-”

“He gave you a painting?!”

Marinette nodded quickly. “Yes. And I do not know how but he might have sensed that I wanted to kiss so he did.”

Alya gave her a sly look. “Or he might have just wanted to kiss you himself.”

Marinette’s face grew hot.

Alya turned her head to the side and glanced past Marinette’s shoulder. “Speak of the devil, there he is.”

Marinette wasted no time of turning around.

As expected, Adrien looked far handsome than he did yesterday. In fact, it seemed like he was getting more attractive by every day that passed by. And what made him even more handsome today was that he was smiling. Laughing even. Perhaps Nino had told him a joke that cracked him up.

Unable to suppress a face splitting grin, Marinette said, “Alya, turn around.”

“What? And why shall I do that?”

Marinette latched onto her friend’s arm. “Pleease? I just want to say hello to him.”

Alya cocked a brow. “And why can you not do it with me facing the both of you?”

“He might not smile at me if he sees you looking.”

Alya groaned. “Fine. _Fine._ You two are ridiculous.” Alya acknowledged her defeat and finally turned around.

Marinette whispered a quick _thank you_ which only earned her a grunt. Fixing her hair and her dress, Marinette bit her lip, waiting for Adrien to notice her. He was watching Nino arrange a couple of files on the side table so it might take a while for him to see her.

But as though he had heard her thoughts from across the room, Adrien’s eyes landed on her.

Marinette beamed at him and lifted her hand for an enthusiastic wave.

Adrien softly chuckled, brought up his hand from his pocket and waved back at her.

Marinette felt her heart skipped a beat.

Their moment didn’t last long when Nino tugged on Adrien’s sleeve, bringing his attention back to the files.

Marinette let out a dreamy sigh. She might have looked silly but it didn’t matter. What mattered was she got to see him today.

“Are you finished?” Alya asked grudgingly.

“Yes.”

Alya turned around, staring at Marinette. “What did you do?”

Marinette ginned at her. “I waved at him.”

Alya buried her face in her hand. “And here I was thinking that you had something dirty in mind.”

“Alya,” Marinette pinched her arm, suddenly embarrassed.

Alya laughed. “Oh you are so transparent.”

Marinette grumbled at her.

“Ladies, it is time for breakfast,” a maid informed.

Alya and Marinette nodded before making their way to the dining room.

They sat down on their respective seats as Marinette’s mouth began watering at the sight and aroma of the food- as she always does. Mrs. Lavillant, Juleka and Rose sat across from them while Mr. Lavillant sat at the head of the table. He didn’t seem like he had gotten enough sleep. He even had folders in front of him that might have contained documents regarding their business. Mrs. Lavillant appeared concerned about her husband, too.

_Has something happened?_

“Father, it is time to eat.” Juleka said.

“Your daughter is right.” Mrs. Lavillant agreed. “Let us pore over the documents after we have eaten,” she said, giving her husband’s arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Is everything all right?” Rose joined.

Mr. Lavillant removed his glasses and pressed the heel of his hand to his eye, massaging it. “ ‘Tis nothing to worry. It might have been just a mix up.”

Juleka furrowed her brows. “Mix up in what?”

Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant looked at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation. Mrs. Lavillant placed the documents aside before facing her daughters. “It is just that the revenue of our investment management does not add up as it should. A couple of months have missing reports as well. The profits and the reports do not match. If this is proven authentic, your father and I fear that we might be losing a lot of earnings. Not only of our family but the funds of our other clients who have invested in us as well.” Mrs. Lavillant explained.

That didn’t sound good at all. Marinette has experienced seeing her parents get frustrated over not having their sold pastries match up with the earnings a few times before. She couldn’t imagine how depressing it could be to lose so much money in such a wide and sensitive management.

“Do you want us to investigate over it?”

They turned their heads to look at Adrien whom have already entered the room with Nino without anyone noticing.

“We can ask Sinclair to gather reports from your company.” Adrien offered.

Mr. Lavillant waved his hand in dismissal, displaying a weak smile. “It is all right, gentlemen, we will handle this with our business partners. And this matter breaches far from your duties after all. I do not want to trouble you with this.”

“Ah, but it is our duty to look into everything that seems to trouble you since we are appointed to a mission that is centered on your family and everything in between,” announced Nino. He nudged Adrien’s elbow, “Isn’t that right, Agreste?”

“No matter how trivial it may be, yes.” Adrien clarified. “We will be held accountable if we overlook this.”

Mr. Lavillant sighed deeply, leaning back on his chair and looked at the spies. “All right. Thank you,” he said, now seeming to have a bit of reassurance.

 

~

 

Just when they thought everything was going back to normal, another problem resurfaced. But it was a good thing that Adrien and Nino decided to investigate it as soon as they can. Marinette knew nothing about business except for how her parents run their pastry shop but in a world where money was considered as important as someone’s life, Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant’s position may be very dangerous.

Adrien was adjusting the saddle on his horse when Marinette decided to walk up to him. She stood behind him and asked, “Where are you headed to?”

Adrien replied without turning to look at her. “Brentford and Chiswick. We might stop over at Mottingham as well. Apparently that is where most of the Lavillants’ investment partners reside.”

Marinette nodded slowly. Since they were travelling two to three towns, they might take a while before they get back. She glanced to the side and saw that Stefano had began saddling up his horse as well.

“Is Stefano coming as well?”

Adrien faced her. “Yes. Why?”

Marinette stepped aside for him to have a view of Juleka who was at the main entrance, her eyes locked at Stefano.

“When will you be back?”

Adrien fished for his pocket watch, he estimated the hours and placed it back on his pocket. “By nighttime I presume.”

Marinette’s shoulders suddenly dropped. They haven’t been alone together since that time in his bedroom. She knew that she was acting silly but she hoped that she’d be able to see him all day today. He and Nino have been spending much of their time in their headquarters for the past few days- Stefano and a couple of other spies, too.

Marinette heard a chuckle.

“Wipe that pout off of your face, will you?” he said and flicked her forehead.

Marinette rubbed the part that stung, giving him a dirty look.

She didn’t even notice that she was pouting.

Adrien pulled out a journal from the small cloth compartment attached to the saddle of the horse. He skimmed through the pages seeming to look for something. It was only when he closed the journal when Marinette realized what it was.

“Was that the journal I picked for you?” she asked, astonished.

A smile danced on Adrien’s lips. “Yes. I did not know that you still remember.”

“How can I forget?” she giggled, taking the journal from him. She ran her fingers through the engraved paws at the front cover. The journal appeared too thin then. But now, it looked like Adrien used it as much as he could. It also seemed like he was beginning to run out of pages.

“I believe it was also the time when we had our first argument because I happened to confess to you that you are beautifully clumsy,” said Adrien.

Marinette looked up at him, abruptly handing him back his journal as she saw the amused look on his face.

“Right.”

“And you walked all the way back to the mansion because I annoyed you in some way,” he continued.

“In many ways, actually.” Marinette corrected, remembering that certain scenario.

“And you hated the fact that I called you Princess.”

Marinette turned crimson.

“I cannot remember that exactly,” she lied.

She remembered that too well. _All too well._

Adrien’s brows shot up. “Really now?”

Marinette nodded, keeping a straight face.

“Perhaps I shall start calling you by that again,” he pretended to ponder.

Marinette glared. “Don’t you even think about it.”

Adrien grinned, suppressing his laughter.

If someone would have told her that she would be sharing a moment like this with the man that saved her from the main square, she knew that she wouldn’t believe it. Not even in a million years. That was how impossible it seemed for her back then. But now, Marinette was starting to think that anything could be possible so long as you let it be.

Adrien hauled himself up on the horse, wrapping the reins around his hands. “What do you want from our trip?”

Marinette stared up at him. “What do I want?”

Adrien only nodded.

Was he talking about getting her something? A souvenir perhaps?

“And do not say ‘ _anything will be fine’_ you will only be giving me a headache,” he warned.

Marinette pressed her lips together, thinking of a request. She didn’t really want anything from the places that they were going to.

But she did want one simple thing.

Marinette slipped off the rose gold knot ring on her ring finger from her right hand. Her parent’s had given it to her on her seventh birthday. She used it as a charm for her necklace and finally wore it when it fit her finger perfectly.

She walked towards him and stood on her tiptoes to hand him the ring. Adrien took it from her and lifted it up, his brows furrowing as he looked at it in confusion.

“That.” Marinette said. “I only want that.”

Adrien squinted at her. “Then why did you give it to me?”

Marinette beamed at him. “That ring is very special to me. I want you to look after it for a while and make sure that nothing happens to it. That is why you have to come back safely in order for you to give it back.”

Adrien cocked a brow. “And what happens if I do not come back?”

Marinette ignored the pang on her chest. She displayed an innocent smile and said, “I will find you and I will make the rest of your life a living hell.”

Adrien gulped.

“I will come back with the ring no matter what happens,” he vowed.

“Good,” she grinned. “Stay safe.”

He nodded. “Go back inside with the others. I will see you later.”

“All right.” Marinette did what she was told and skipped back to the main entrance with her cheeks starting to ache.

 

~

 

It was thirty minutes past ten but there was still no sign of Adrien. Marinette was beginning to worry. She had constantly checked over her window for any horses that were galloping near the entrance but there were none. By this time of the night, Adrien and Nino were usually already back from a trip. They left by nine in the morning but they still hadn’t arrived in the mansion.

But then again, they were spies.

 _What could possibly go wrong?_ Marinette thought to ease her mind.

She went back to her bed and buried herself underneath the thick duvet, forcing herself to succumb to a deep slumber. She writhed and turned and even opted to hide her face beneath her pillow.

She wasn’t going to get any sleep if she’d decided to continue doing this.

Marinette pried the duvet off her body and hopped off the bed. Perhaps a breath of fresh air might just do the trick. She grabbed her silk robe from the chaise and slipped it on. It might be a bad idea to sneak out of her room again but she wasn’t going to stay out for a long time anyways. She just needed a few minutes of peace.

Wounding her arms around her, Marinette stepped out of her door. She could ask Alya to come with her but her friend would likely be asleep, and so as Rose. Marinette wasn’t so sure about Juleka. She might be waiting for the spies’ arrival as well.

It didn’t take long when she found herself walking down the path to the fountain in the garden. Just the sound of the water cascading down from the fountain’s tiers already gave her a sense of relief. Marinette paused on the path as she caught a sight of a fully bloomed patch of hibiscus flowers. It was one of the flowers that rarely bloom in the Lavillants garden. Marinette always wondered why. But now, three pots had successfully blossomed. Marinette bent down and gently pinched a stem.

It wouldn’t cause her trouble for plucking a single flower, would it?

Disregarding her thoughts, Marinette plucked out a red hibiscus. She never received a flower from someone before- except for her parents of course. She always wondered what it felt like to receive a single or even a bouquet of flowers. It must feel very lovely.

Marinette sat down on the brim of the fountain, twirling the hibiscus in her fingers. She heaved out a heavy sigh, taking a glance of her surroundings. She would truly miss all of it once she comes back to Paris.

Marinette surprised herself at her own confession.

Paris…

Had she finally decided that she was going back home?

She stuck her nose in the air, taking a deep breath. She did miss her home and her parents of course. She and Alya had been talking about paying a visit to their families. But they both knew that once they come back- either it be a visit or not –there might be a possibility that they will stay there for good.

Just like her, Alya struggled for her passion. She was one of the best researchers in her academy. But when she realized that she was starting to feel as though she was running out of ideas and fueled desire to continue on her studies that was when Alya decided that it was time for her to take a break.

It was good for them to take a break every now and then. But once they have decided where to continue their studies, their next time offs wouldn’t drag as long as this. Marinette doubted that they’d have another long vacation in the middle of studying though. Once she starts studying again, she knew that she’d want to finish it as fast as she could so that she could finally help her parents.

Perhaps Paris truly was the right choice.

“I figured that you would be here.”

She was so lost in her thoughts that she wasn’t even shocked when a voice rang in her ears. Marinette looked up at him and displayed a small smile.

“Welcome back,” she said.

Adrien joined her, unbuttoning his suit as he sat down. “I went to your room first but you were not there.”

Marinette gazed absently through the cascading water of the fountain. “I could not sleep.”

At first it was because of him but now…Marinette was worrying about the choice she would make yet again.

But then it seemed like going back really was what they were supposed to do.

“Marinette,” Adrien called. “Is something the matter?” he scooted close to her.

Marinette offered a smile and shook her head. “It is nothing.”

Adrien appeared dubious but he didn’t push any further.

If she and Alya were to leave London, they would have to leave the Lavillants behind as well as the spies and everything else. They would both miss it from the bottom of their hearts. Just thinking about it made Marinette not want to deal with it at all.

How could she ever escape this?

“Come with me.” Adrien took her hand and stood up, taking her with him.

Marinette blinked at his back. “Where are we going?”

Adrien started to head towards the entrance of the maze that was located at the middle of the garden. Marinette has never been inside herself. She’d heard stories from Rose that some of the gardeners often gets lost inside the maze. And that Rose and Juleka haven’t memorized the maze themselves.

Marinette didn’t get the chance to pull back when Adrien pulled her completely inside. There was nothing to see but finely trimmed green hedges. She followed him when he took a turn and another.

And another.

Marinette glanced above and saw the twinkling stars scattered along the night sky.

It was getting late. She should get back inside.

They _both_ should get back inside.

“Adrien, let us go back.” Marinette said softly.

He only gave her hand a squeeze.

It seemed he wasn’t listening to her at all.

They stopped at a particular spot and Adrien began to run his free hand along the hedge in front of them. To Marinette, it looked like they’ve reached a dead end. But Adrien seemed like he was looking for something.

Marinette didn’t have enough energy to argue and so she kept her mouth shut instead. She wondered what time could it already be. She might not be able to wake up early tomorrow if Adrien would keep on looking for something that might not be even there at all.

“There it is,” he mumbled as his hand appeared to have wrapped around a hidden knob attached to the hedge.

He pushed forward, making a small caved part of the hedge to push open as well. Marinette tilted her head to see what it was. It appeared more like a door that was made to look like a part of the hedge. But she got a closer look, it was a wooden door perfectly covered in twines and green.

And as soon as her eyes shifted in front, Marinette had to suppress a gasp.

It might have appeared to be green hedges outside but once they have stepped in the small space hidden inside the maze, everything was bedecked with flowers of different variety and color.

“What is this place?” Marinette asked, her eyes wandering every inch of the space.

Adrien sank down, leaning his back against the flowered hedge. “I believe it is a secret garden. I have heard about it from Rose once and so Nino and I decided to look for it.” He threaded his fingers through his hair. “Unfortunately, I was the only one who found it and had to abandon it immediately for an idiotic friend of mine was screaming my name at the top of his lungs in the middle of the night.”

Marinette giggled. “He got lost?”

Adrien nodded, a hint of an amused smile on his lips.

Marinette knelt down as she caught a sight of a red flower at the bottom of the hedge. She placed the hibiscus beside it to compare its difference in color and tried to determine which looked better. But it was impossible to search for a single flower that rose above the rest whilst being in a place as beautiful as this.

It was a good thing that she followed him here after all.

Marinette glanced back at him with a genuine smile on her face.

The corners of his mouth curved up. “Come here,” said Adrien.

Marinette stood from her spot and headed towards him. She made a move to sit beside him but she was immediately yanked down. Marinette squeaked as Adrien settled her between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head on the crook of her neck.

His breath almost tickled her. She tried to move away from him but Adrien only tightened his grip on her.

Her skin tingled at every second that passed and her heart had increased its pace, pounding on her chest. Silly it may be but she felt as though she was feverish. Sure they had kissed before but this was another level of closeness- intimacy even. Adrien didn’t appear to be fazed by it at all while Marinette felt like a pool of mess and desire.

“A-Adrien,” she stammered.

Adrien let out an almost inaudible, “Hm?”

She gulped. “W-Why. We should not be here.”

He kept is head buried on her neck. “Why is that?”

Marinette had to stop herself from squealing.

Why shouldn’t they be there? Marinette didn’t know the answer herself. And it wasn’t that she found his touch unnerving or uncomfortable, it was just that it was so sudden that she didn’t know how to properly react.

A few more seconds had passed but the silence around them had only grown thicker. Adrien didn’t look like he was going to speak anytime soon and Marinette swore that she must have looked close to a red tomato.

Adrien was too quiet. In fact, it seemed like he was sleeping.

“A-Are you sleeping?”

Adrien hummed in response.

Marinette’s heart leapt to her throat.

She craned her head to look at him. “You should not sleep here.” Marinette panicked.

“Then keep me awake.”

She stilled.

_What?_

How in the world could she possibly do that exactly? She was barely surviving herself.

But she couldn’t let him fall asleep or else they’d be doomed- _she’d_ be doomed.

“I was worried about you,” she confessed.

A heartbeat passed.

_Two._

_Three._

Adrien lifted his head to kiss her temple. “I knew you were.”

“What took you so long?”

He breathed out. “The process took much longer than it could have. Some clients were enraged- as expected –and are attempting to press charges on Jermaine and Rosella if their investment fails to come back to them.”

Marinette felt a weight on her chest. “That does not sound good.”

“We explained the situation to them as much as we could. Hopefully that would be enough for now.”

Marinette let herself lean against Adrien, feeling a hint of sleepiness.

Adrien must have sensed it when he asked, “Do you want to go back?”

Marinette found herself shaking her head. “No. Not yet.”

It wasn’t everyday that they get to spend time together anyways. And she was going to leave soon.

Adrien found her hands and laced her fingers with his.

 _He is rather…touchy today._ Marinette thought to herself.

She was going to miss this.

“I just remembered,” she said out of the blue. “Nathaniel, he was the one who tried to attack me back in the gallery while you were purchasing the Miraculous.”

Marinette remembered his words too clearly. On the night of his last attack, he had confessed that it was him who had tried to take her away.

Adrien’s arms tightened around her.

“Speaking of Nathaniel, you defended yourself quite well when their group raided the mansion,” said Adrien.

Marinette hummed in response. “Mamman and Papa insisted that I learn fencing for defending myself.”

The years of practice were truly worth it. She would have to thank her parents for that when she gets back.

“Ah, before I forget.” Adrien removed his hand from hers to obtain something from his pocket. “Your ring-”

“Keep it.”

Adrien froze. “What?”

Marinette nuzzled her head close to him. “Keep it,” she said once more. She closed her eyes, feeling it starting to well up.

“But you said this was important to you.” Adrien objected.

“It is,” she said. “And I want you to keep it. Just something to remember me by.”

That was it.

She has made her decision.

Alya might choose to stay but now that Marinette has made her choice, she would travel back to Paris even if she had to do it without Alya. She realized that with her being in London, she wasn’t trying to look for inspiration or have a short break. She was only trying to escape and run away from her problems. She wasn’t willing on facing them with her head held up high.

She had to be independent for once.

Adrien sat up straight, facing her. “Marinette, what is going on?”

She could hear the utter confusion in his voice.

She tried to calm her drumming of her heart but she couldn’t. Her tears seemed to have refused to stop themselves from taking over her eyes as well. She didn’t expect that she would be so emotional tonight.

Marinette looked up at him with a weak smile. She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek, soothing it with her thumb. “I have to leave soon.”

Adrien blinked down at her, his forehead puckered. “Pardon?”

“Paris,” she sighed. “I have to go back to Paris.”

Adrien looked at her as though he was trying to search for the answers in her eyes. “Why?”

Marinette forced a smile. “I have to.”

Her heart clenched when she felt his arms around her loosen. Confusion was etched on his face and it only made it harder for Marinette to speak. She knew that she was being selfish but making this decision was for her own good, right?

_Right?_

“I…” Adrien swallowed. “I understand,” he answered. “When will you be leaving?”

Marinette counted the months that she’s spend in London. Sadness tore at her chest. “Two months, I believe.”

A hint of surprise flashed across Adrien’s face but it was gone as fast as it appeared. “What about Alya?”

Marinette shrugged. “I do not know yet. I have to talk to her tomorrow.”

She would have to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant, too.

Her body felt heavy. Her mood has dwindled down a lot since she began thinking about going back to France. She still had time left but why did it feel like she was leaving tomorrow? Why did it feel like she wanted to run away again?

Why did it feel like she was going to lose him?

“What about you?” she began to ask. “For how long are you staying here?”

Adrien settled back on the hedge, turning her around so that her back would rest against his chest again and coiled his arms on her waist. “At least one more year.”

Marinette bit her lip, forcing herself not to shed a tear.

_A year?_

“Have I mentioned that I live in Paris as well?”

She nodded. “You have.”

Adrien hummed. “We must be very close then. Spies do not usually reveal that to anyone, you know?”

A small chuckled slipped past her lips.

He was trying to lift up her mood.

“You will be through with your studies before you even know it,” he said. “Just as how it felt with me training for years, believe it or not. I cannot even fathom how long it has been since the first time Nino and I met as mere protégés.” She felt his chest heave in and out from behind her. “For all I know you might be rivaling against my father by the time I get back to Paris,” he teased.

Marinette snorted. “That is impossible. Your father is one of the best designers in Europe.”

“Eh, I guess so.”

Marinette giggled.

It felt good just talking about things that didn’t include her near departure. If she could split her body in two she would have done it already. She still couldn’t grasp the fact that she had to be away from the Lavillants and from Adrien most of all.

She would truly miss him.

Just as she was starting to feel down again, Adrien said, “Do not frown.” He poked her cheek. “The Lavillants will surely keep in touch with you just as they did before and Nino and I can pay you and Alya a visit if ever we find ourselves in Paris.”

Marinette’s hopes came back to life. “You will?” she said, facing him.

Adrien chuckled once. “We will. Though I have no idea where you live.”

“You are a spy. You can figure that out,” she reminded with a smile. “But to spare you the trouble, you can find me at _Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie _located on 12 Rue Gotlib in the 21st arrondissement of Paris.”

“Wow.”

Marinette giggled. “Just to make sure that none of you would get lost.”

Adrien shook his head in amusement. “I will make sure of that.”

Marinette’s eyes ran over every feature on Adrien’s face, committing it to memory. It wasn’t long ago when she hesitated to call him by his real name. And when she hoped to see his smile and hear his laughter at least once. She even got jealous at a noble named Chloé because of it. Just seeing him open up to her warmed every inch of her heart.

Who knew that the stoic and impassive cat of hers loved to smile, too?

Marinette trailed her hands to his suit and gently took a hold of its lining.

Adrien stared at her, confused. “Marinette?”

Marinette pulled him down, making the tips of their noses brush against each other.

Seeming to have gotten what she wanted, Adrien covered her lips with his.

And at that, a tear escaped her eye.

Their kiss felt wonderful and painful at the same time. The bliss that was filling her was going up against the sorrow that slowly bubbled and expanded from deep within her. If only she could bottle him up and take her with him to Paris, that surely would have been far convenient.

Adrien squeezed her waist and pulled her close to him, deepening their kiss. And in one swift movement, Adrien had settled her on his lap. Marinette felt dizzy and her heart skittered. She had never wanted so much until he came into her life. He was her first love and her first heartbreak and she wasn’t so sure if she was willing to leave it all behind. But Adrien had always told her to follow her dreams and strive for them. If she asked him, perhaps he might tell her to choose Paris as well.

A whimper bubbled up her throat as he drew her near- almost crushing her to his chest. Her nightgown had rode up to her thighs and she could feel her silk robe slipping down her shoulders along with the sleeve of her gown. She should feel cold and shiver even. But why did it feel too hot?

They pulled their tender lips apart and rested their foreheads against each other to catch their breaths. It didn’t take long when Adrien pressed a kiss on her cheek and then to her jaw. Marinette took a sharp breath when his lips attached to her neck.

What was this feeling?

It was far different from what she felt the second time they kissed. This seemed like it was something more. Something deeper.

And a tad bit dangerous.

Adrien placed a soft kiss on her exposed shoulder before pulling up the sleeve of her nightgown and robe to cover it up. He cupped her cheeks and kissed the tip of her nose.

“We should stop.”

Marinette felt slightly dejected but she knew that he was right.

What a relief it was for that Adrien was a gentleman. If he weren’t, Marinette knew too well that they would be still hopelessly catching their breaths up to now.

She hid her trembling and the incapability of her legs to move as she nodded in agreement.

Adrien smiled and pecked her forehead before hugging her to him.

“Rest.”

Marinette couldn’t make herself protest for she was indeed drained. She nuzzled close to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Tiredness and sleep began to overcome her the more time she spent enveloped in his arms.

And just as her eyes fluttered close, three words flowed past her mouth,

“I love you.”

She wasn’t certain if Adrien chuckled or said something in response. She didn’t hear it clearly. She was deep in her slumber before she even got the chance to dwell on the fact that she had told him she loved him.

 

~

 

Adrien sat there, his eyes wide in shock.

_“I love you.”_

It had clearly come from Marinette’s mouth. He had known that voice anywhere.

He squeezed her slim body and pressed his lips on the top of her head as his own words overwhelmed him,

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wihiehiehieee <3
> 
> Sorry for the delayed update! I keep forgetting that I haven't posted a new chapter yet and I was supposed to post this all the way back in Thursday ._. But I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! :) <3  
> Comments nd kudos are always appreciated ~3~
> 
>  
> 
> *P.S. Enjoy ze fluff while it lasts buahahahhahaha*


	30. The Last Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a pleasant morning takes its turn of events.

Marinette shifted as she felt a familiar warmth pressed against her chest. It wasn’t too hot but she preferred the normal temperature of her room. She hadn’t forgotten to switch her duvet, hadn’t she? And why did it feel like she had tangled herself in her sheets? Her arm could barely move and her pillow…

Why was it breathing?

Marinette fluttered her eyes open to see what in God’s green earth had happened to her bed for it to feel so strange. She blinked for a few seconds, waiting for her vision to adjust to what seemed like a yellow blob just in front of her.

_Why is there a yellow blob?_

As soon as her sight became crystal clear, Marinette shrieked, instinctively pushing herself away from him. Adrien moaned in protest coiling his arms around her even tighter.

_What?_

_WHAT?_

Marinette’s heart pumped too loudly and her face turned to another shade of pink. Even though she was lying down she could still feel her knees tremble.

What were they doing?

Why were they in the middle of the garden when-

Marinette’s hand shot up to her mouth to cover a gasp.

She remembered waiting for him by the fountain and they also seemed to have discussed about her return to Paris and other things as well. She could also remember feeling the tiredness overcome her as she fell asleep in his arms. They must have shifted a lot for her to have settled on having her head rest on his chest while his arms securely wrapped around her.

She wanted to stay in his arms longer but the gardener might catch them and Marinette was not in the mood of explaining.

And what if someone else caught them?

What if it were one of the girls?

Or Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant?

Marinette screwed her face in worry as she writhed in Adrien’s embrace.

“Stop,” he murmured, his voice slightly husky.

Marinette could have swooned at that if she weren’t too preoccupied with worry.

“Ad-” she poked his chest, “Adrien,” she whispered. “Wake up.”

Adrien ignored her plea.

Marinette swallowed, forcing herself to focus on the task at had rather than on his lips. “Adrien,” she tried again. “Adrien, wake up,” she then shook his shoulder, hoping that he’d finally come to his senses.

But it was of no use.

Marinette let out a breath, hoping that no one has found out that the two of them were missing yet. She wouldn’t be able to handle to mortification of having someone see them comfortably lying down the grass wrapped around each other. Who knows what could they be thinking.

“Adriiien.” Marinette whined, poking his cheek.

_For the sake of our well-beings and my mental stability, please wake up._

Adrien groaned, squeezing her and brought his face closer that made Marinette’s voice hitch.

He then nuzzled his nose against hers.

Marinette felt herself swoon again. She smiled at him and cupped his cheek. “You are already awake, are you?”

Adrien sighed through his nose. “Perhaps.”

Marinette giggled as she stroked his cheek with the pad of her thumb. “ ‘Tis time to get up, handsome. We cannot risk getting caught.”

He smiled with his eyes closed. “So you do find me dazzlingly handsome.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “You can be quite narcissistic, can you?”

“I have my moments,” he breathed.

Marinette let herself relish the moment for a few more seconds. This might be the last anyways. Though she could remember saying something to him before she fell asleep. But that could only be her imagination since she couldn’t exactly remember what she had said or if it really happened.

She chose to let the thought go.

“Adrien,” she said once more. “Let us go.”

With a rather a harsh sigh he said, “Fine.”

He loosened his arms around her. Marinette pushed herself up and stretched as she sat. This was probably the best sleep she has ever had for the past weeks. Adrien stood up a yawn escaped his lips. Marinette reveled at the sight in front of her. His cheeks were flushed and he had a small adorable pout on his lips. His hair was disheveled in a way that made her insides stir and she didn’t even want to start thinking about how his white dress shirt clung to his glorious body. Adrien looked like an angel sent from heaven.

She had to stop herself from drooling.

Adrien looked at her and quirked a brow, “Is something the matter?”

Marinette shook her head vigorously, stood up and dusted her skirt. She should have expected that he’d catch her staring at him. Adrien walked towards her and began running his fingers through her hair.

Marinette glanced up at him in question.

“You have grass all over your hair,” he said as he continued to comb it. “I cannot risk your dear friend lunging at me for finding out about this.”

Marinette chuckled. “That indeed.”

She caught a sight of her ring that was now on Adrien’s pinky finger. She smiled at the sight and said to him, “Never lose it.”

Seeming to have already known what she was talking about, his mouth curved into a smile and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “I would not dare.”

 

~

 

Marinette wrung her fingers as she waited for Alya. After she had snuck inside the mansion with Adrien, she took a quick bath, changed her clothes and knocked on Alya’s door. It was a relief that none of the girls were awake when they snuck in. Marinette waited until she was certain that Alya had already finished her morning routines until she decided to talk to her about her decision.

Marinette stilled when she heard the click of the door. Alya stepped out from the comfort room and twirled a few of her natural curls to keep them in shape. She walked in front of her dresser and began to apply a red tint on her lips.

“What is it that you want to talk about, Mari?” she asked.

Marinette gulped, clutching the fabric of her gown in her hands. She could feel herself trembling.

“I-” she began. “I am going back to Paris.”

Alya stopped whatever it was that she was doing.

Marinette felt a tremor run down her body. She figured that it’d be better if she told Alya about her decision as early as she could. In that way, Alya would still have some time to think about her own decision if ever Marinette’s would affect hers.

A few seconds passed.

Alya stood straight, running her hand down her hair. “You beat me to it, Mari,” she said with a small chuckle.

Marinette blinked in confusion. “Pardon?”

Alya heaved out a breath. “Here I was worrying about how I could possibly tell you about my decision of going back to Paris to continue my studies. I figured that there is no other place like home, after all. And that it should end where it started,” she said as she turned on her heel. “I thought you were not going home,” she said with a smile.

Marinette’s lip quivered. As she felt tears stung her eyes she rushed towards her friend. “Alya,” Marinette wailed, embracing her.

Alya chuckled, patting Marinette’s head. “You thought we were going to have opposing decisions, did you not?”

Marinette nodded.

“I should say the same. I really thought that you would choose to stay here since…” Alya trailed off. “Since, you know, _he_ is here.”

Marinette pulled away and tilted her head at Alya. “He?”

Alya’s eyes rolled heavenwards. “ _Monsieur_ Loverboy aka Adrien “Chat” Agreste.”

Marinette blushed. “Why-I-I would not. I would not stay here because of him,” her voice hitched at the end of her sentence, betraying her.

Alya hummed, pretending to agree. “Have you already told him?”

Marinette’s gaze traveled down, feeling her heart pierce once more. She gave Alya a small nod.

“What did he say?”

Marinette sighed. “He said that it would be over in no time. And that he and Nino will visit us when they can.”

Alya’s brows shot up. “Nino, huh?”

Marinette gave her a teasing look. “You will miss him, will you?”

Alya huffed. “As if.”

Marinette laughed at how much her voice betrayed her. She knew that Alya had feelings for Nino and vice versa. Who knew that they’d be meeting their first loves in London? And who knew that they also happened to be spies. Marinette instinctively twirled the absent ring on her finger. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she remembered that she had given it to Adrien. Perhaps when they meet again in Paris, she’d ask for it back.

And she would strive to have it back.

Because then that would mean that they would have to meet again.

 

~

 

“Where were you?”

Adrien swallowed a groan as Nino asked for the tenth time.

“I looked _everywhere_ for you but you were nowhere to be found,” said Nino.

Adrien arranged the scattered files on his table. “Then that can only mean that you did not search hard enough.”

Nino snorted. “Are you doubting my skills? Me?” he pointed a finger to his chest, “Nino Lahiffe, your partner for God knows how long. I have put up with every single damn shady agenda that you have done for _years_ but I am not going to let this slip. _Where were you?_ ” he demanded.

Adrien sat on his chair, pressing the heel of his hand to his temple. “You are not my mother, Nino. Stop it before I punch you.”

“Like you would do it.” Nino mocked.

Adrien snarled, formed a fist and started to lunge at Nino. Nino immediately staggered back, holding both of his hands up in defeat.

“Fine, fine. I lose,” he admitted.

Adrien adjusted his tie, sending Nino a death glare before turning his attention back to the files. He had carefully stowed away all of the notes that they have received in a ziplock bag and hid it inside one of his gun holsters. It would have been more convenient if they had all of the notes from day one. But unfortunately, some of the notes were in Sinclair’s vicinity.

“But seriously though, where were you?” Nino pressed once more.

Adrien let out a breath of defeat. “I was just in the garden. I needed some time to think.”

He had to stop himself from smiling whenever he remembers about what had happened last night with Marinette. Somehow, he knew that the maiden would be waiting for him that was why he tried to end their duties as fast as he could so that he’d be able to see her before she goes to sleep. He also remembered the three words that had slipped past her mouth. Judging by how she acted this morning, he doubted that Marinette had any clue about what she had said to him. And he was fairly certain that she had not heard his sincere reply as well.

But perhaps it was for the better.

He couldn’t also mistake the pang in his chest as he remembered her telling him that she had to leave in two months to continue her studies. He could ask or even persuade her to stay in London but that wouldn’t be fair. He had to let her go. Adrien knew that they had to leave at some point but never had he imagined that he wouldn’t be prepared for it.

And he would miss her very much so. He might have to ask Sinclair to station them back in Paris so that he could visit her often. Adrien was convinced that Nino would approve of that as well since it was quite evident that he harbored feelings for Alya.

“You have not read that yet?” Nino peered on Adrien’s shoulder.

Adrien’s gaze landed on the white envelope in front of him. He hadn’t opened his father’s letter yet. Marinette did say that he should read it, and he knew that if it actually came from his father, there shouldn’t be no harm in knowing about how he’s been doing back in Paris or if he had any queries for Adrien.

Coming up with decision, Adrien tore the top of the envelope and pulled out the thin cream paper. Just as he began to unfold the letter, Nino decided to gave him some privacy and walked out of the room.

Adrien’s eyes began to scan the letter.

 

_Adrien,_

_How have you been? I trust that you are well. I have been notified that you are to reside in London longer than expected with your colleague. I shall take this opportunity to ask if you have been told of when you are to come back. I am to task Nathalie for a meeting between the two of us as I have not seen you for a while now. Business is ever the same and I hope that you are doing splendid in your missions just as well as I am doing with my profession. Please do take good care of yourself and be safe. I shall be waiting for your return. Know that I will anticipate for your arrival no matter how long it takes. Again, please be safe, my son. I will wait for you. I hope to see you soon, Adrien._

_Your father,_

_Gabriel_

Adrien heaved out a deep staggered breath as he finished reading the letter. It was unlikely of his father to send him a letter all while knowing that he was in a mission. But he was also certain that it indeed come from his father. He used the same paper as he always did whenever he sends out letter for his business partners. The seal couldn’t also be mistaken and of course, the handwriting. Adrien knew his father’s handwriting too well. No one would be able to fool him by mocking it.

Though he was quite troubled by the tone of the letter. He was aware that his father cared for him but this time, he almost sounded as though he feared of something. And that he was deeply concerned of Adrien’s safety. His father was fully aware of the dangers of Adrien’s profession. He wouldn’t easily be swayed by common threats.

So what could be the cause of his sudden need of sending out a letter?

As Adrien dwelled on the letter, Nino came rushing in the room, his face in pure utter shock.

Adrien stood on his seat, concerned. “What happened?”

Nino’s eyes were wide and his breathing was uneven. Without saying a word, he lifted a familiar piece of paper.

Adrien bolted to Nino and snatched the note from his fingers. It had been a long time since the last time they received a note. What sinister message could it hold now?

_A life now lost_

_because of anger and dismay._

_A price is required for the damage_

_that was caused._

_You are in my debt, Agreste._

_Brighton._

_19825A_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand the action will commence once more buahahahahaha
> 
> *There are only 6 chapters left ToT. But they are going to be lonnggg :)))*
> 
> Thank uuuu for continuing to read this story! I hope that you will all read it till the end :D <3


	31. The Mistaken Captive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a fraud was conducted and abductions are foretold.

Adrien and Nino stood still, their eyes fixated on the note. Sure, they have noticed the lack of notes for the past weeks and it almost seemed as though it was over. But at the very back of their minds they knew that it was far from over. And that Papillon might only be brewing a far more sadistic plan.

“19th of this month,” said Nino as he examined the numbers at the bottom of the note. “He wants to meet us on the 19th at 8:25 in the morning.”

Adrien narrowed his eyes at the combination of numbers and letter. Nino cracked the cipher right. He was instantly reminded of the time when Théo sent out a message for their rivals a few years back when he and Adrien were paired for a mission. It was the exact pattern of code. But Adrien knew full well that Théo wasn’t Papillon. That would be too easy.

“The 19th,” Adrien finally spoke. “That is tomorrow, correct?”

Nino nodded. “We have to leave early. Do you think it is possible if we bring Stefano with us?”

Adrien shook his head as he gave it a thought. “That would not do. He would have to stay here with the others to guard the mansion.”

Nino faced his colleague. “Could this be about Nathaniel?”

Adrien pursed his lips. “It most definitely is.”

Nino grumbled. “It was not our fault that he was such a pain in the ass. And are they honestly stupid enough to not expect any deaths in this more ways than one screwed up mission?” he folded his arms across his chest, a deep furrow forming on his brows. “That malicious man did deserve it.” Nino huffed.

Adrien folded the note in two and slipped it inside his coat’s pocket. “For now, I am the one Papillon’s after. He might as well kill me right then and there,” said Adrien barely fazed.

Nino laughed once out of humor. “As if you would actually let them kill you.”

A smirk crept on Adrien’s lips. “I might let them if I kill them first.”

The spies gazed at the view in front of them, marveling at the serene scenery. It was hard to imagine that in a few hours they would be dealing with a person- or a group of people rather –that may result to sudden deaths. They both knew that if they die, those scoundrels were coming along to hell with them.

Nino heaved out a sigh. “We must retreat back to our rooms then,” he suggested. “We have a lot of guns to polish.”

 

~

 

Marinette bit her lip as she focused on slipping the thin needle through Juleka’s skirt. She had been told that Juleka was going to travel out of London today to meet with a couple of their clients to talk to them about their investments. She wouldn’t be able to come back to the mansion at the end of the day. Mr. Lavillant insisted for her to stay in one of their retreat houses in Cambridge.

Seeing as she had to look presentable, Juleka wanted to be as pristine as possible. But then some part of her skirt ripped when she was going down the stairs. She didn’t want to change her gown since she said that it was her lucky gown and that she would have to leave London wearing it no matter what happens.

“Which cities are you going to today?” Marinette asked as the threaded the needle through a new path.

Juleka heaved out a sigh. “Oxford and Cambridge. It is impossible for me to travel to those two cities in one day,” she complained. “But as Father stated, this meeting had to be done as soon as possible. I cannot let him down.”

Marinette smiled at Juleka’s passion of saving their company. She said earlier that Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant were too busy fixing up the investments that they barely had any time to talk to their other clients. That was when Juleka offered her help. Rose insisted that she should join her sister, too, but Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant decided to take their youngest daughter with them in order for them to have an extra helping hand with dealing with the logistics of the failed investments.

“Is Stefano coming with you?”

Juleka froze.

Marinette suppressed her laughter as she saw Juleka’s initial reaction.

Juleka cleared her throat. “I think so, yes. I could have brought Monsieur Adrien or Nino with me but they left early this morning.” Juleka craned her head to glance down at Marinette. “Do you know why?”

Marinette let out a breath. “I do not know. He has not told me anything.”

She didn’t even get to say goodbye.

“Don’t you worry now. I am certain that they will be back before you know it,” she said and winked.

Feeling a hint of reassurance, Marinette displayed a small smile.

She gave the garment a few more stitches before looping the rest of the thin thread, secured it and snipped off the rest. She patted it in place, hiding it amongst the ruffles of Juleka’s dress. Marinette gave herself a triumphant smile, admiring her work.

“It is finished,” she said as she stood up.

Juleka went in front of the mirror and turned around to see if her skirt had been fixed.

She deeply sighed when she saw that it had been sewn to perfection. “Thank you, Mari. I do not know what I could have done without you.”

Marinette waved her hand. “No worries.”

“I will have to get going,” said Juleka as she began to walk to the door. “Ah, but I have to get something from my room.” Her hands clutched the fabric on her side and then transferred to the other. It didn’t take long when Juleka walked back further in the room, seeming to be looking for something.

Marinette peered at her. “Is something wrong?”

“My purse,” she panicked. “I do not know where it is. It has the key to my room.”

Juleka began to frantically search around the room, even crouching down to check under the bed.

“Perhaps you left it in the coach. You did stop by there awhile ago, did you?”

Juleka stood up, tucking a strand of thick black hair behind her ear. “I think so, yes.”

“I will go check,” Marinette offered. “Stay here.”

Juleka nodded. “Thank you, Marinette.”

Marinette ran down the stairs as fast as she could, ignoring the troubled glances of the maids and butlers that saw her pass by. Juleka had to leave as early as she could so that she’d have enough time to rest after the meetings are done. And it seemed like her purse did contain a lot of important things- not only just the key to her room.

She reached the front lot but the coach was no longer there. Marinette looked around, even standing on her tiptoes to have a better view but there was no coach in sight. She went to the garden but only the gardeners were there. She reached the shed in the backyard and finally found a coach but when she checked the seats, Juleka’s purse wasn’t there.

_Perhaps it was in another coach._

Marinette planted her hand on the wall of the shed and leaned down to catch her breath. All that running was beyond tiring. Perhaps it is time for her to consider exercising once in a while. She stood up right and turned her torso to stretch and brushed her fringe up, preparing herself for another round of running until she finds Juleka’s purse. Marinette let out a determined breath and made a move to step forward when an unfamiliar voice made her halt.

“ ‘Tis today, huh?”

Marinette’s free hand went to clutch the fabric of her skirt as she listened.

“Indeed,” the other man said. “I guess the boss could not wait any longer.”

She saw a puff of smoke from the corner. The two men must be smoking. Marinette hid herself behind the shed, careful not to let herself be seen.

“So which one is this Lady Juleka?” the man asked. “ I have not seen her.”

“Ah, well, we cannot ask these two. We have to rely on our instinct.”

_These two?_

Marinette wondered whom were they pertaining to. She pressed her teeth down her bottom lip as she slightly leaned forward to gain a better view. Her hands flew to her mouth, covering a gasp as she saw two unconscious men that had the same uniform as the other coachmen in the mansion tightly roped to the tree with a trail of blood dripping from the side of their heads.

_What is happening?_

They must have planned to pretend as the coachmen that will accompany Juleka to her travels for today. And in order to do that, they had to take out the men that were originally going to guard her.

“The lady that is to set foot on the coach. That must be the Lady Juleka that they speak of.”

Marinette felt herself tremble. What were they going to do to Juleka?

“The instruction is to deliver her to Oxford and the other men will be waiting there. The boss might come right after but I am not certain. All he asked us to do was to kidnap this lady and keep her locked up until he gets what he wants.”

Her blood ran cold.

_Kidnap?_

“What if we could not bring her? What will happen?”

A pause and then,

“We will have to force her to come with us. I am not going to die just because of a meek young lady. If we would have to kill everyone in that damn mansion just to get her, we shall do it willingly.”

She could feel her heart thrumming on her chest as her face continued to drain its color. Marinette felt nothing but terror and immense fear right at that moment. These men…they were going to take Juleka away and worse,

they were going to make her suffer.

And if Juleka didn’t come with them other innocent people would have to be in agony.

She couldn’t let this happen.

She would _never_ let this happen.

Taking a deep staggered breath, Marinette fled the scene just as the two men howled in laughter, masking her heavy footsteps.

She ran and ran and ran, ignoring the pain on her shins. She could already feel a hint of tears welling up on her eyes. She could tell Adrien about it but he wasn’t there and so were Nino. She couldn’t tell Stefano nor Juleka about it.

She had to keep it to herself or else lives will be lost.

She just has to think of a plan.

Marinette immediately went back to the room where Juleka was in but she was no longer there. She didn’t waste any time to sprint down to the grand foyer and frantically look for her friend but she wasn’t there as well. They couldn’t have left already, could they? Juleka hasn’t found her purse yet. Marinette pushed the giant doors open and stepped outside. She saw Stefano at the far corner, grooming a horse that was attached to a coach. She looked around her for the two men and when she was certain enough that they were nowhere near them, she scurried towards Stefano without looking too troubled.

“Stefano,” she began, keeping her breaths even. “I have just heard that there was a bit of complication regarding the meeting with the clients in Cambridge. Apparently there was a change in their schedule and you will have to leave as soon as possible.”

Stefano’s brows furrowed. “A complication?”

Marinette nodded vigorously. “A letter just arrived from Mrs. Rosella but I left it in my room. She said that it would be best if this problem is dealt with immediately.”

Stefano pressed his lips together, his gaze casted to the gates.

 _Please make it work. Please make it work._ Marinette pleaded.

“All right,” said Stefano.

Marinette refrained herself from widening her eyes at his response.

It worked.

“We should have left earlier. In fact, I believe we are a few hours late of departing. I shall collect Juleka,” he turned to face her. “Thank you for letting me know, Lady Marinette.”

Marinette swallowed and shook her head. “It is all right.”

She glanced behind her again to check if the men had found them and fortunately, they were still out of sight.

And instead, Marinette found Juleka who was now holding her purse.

“Marinette!” she called, waving at her. “I have now found it. It turns out I left in m-”

“We have to leave now, m’lady.” Stefano interrupted.

Juleka blinked at him, worry now etched on her face. “What?”

“There is a problem with the clients in Cambridge. You have to attend to them immediately.”

“Oh,” Juleka’s brows rose. “A-All right. We shall leave now then. You will be the coachman. We cannot waste another minute.”

Stefano nodded in agreement.

He helped Juleka up the coach and went to his position on the horse.

“I will be leaving now, Marinette. I will see you tomorrow.” Juleka said as the coach began to move.

Marinette nodded, keeping her tears at bay. “Have a safe trip. Please take care.”

Juleka smiled. “I will. Thank you.”

Marinette watched until the coach disappeared from her view. She collapsed down the gravel path, placing a hand on her chest. Her heart was pumping so hard. It almost seemed as though she had ran a marathon. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, forcing herself to calm down.

She heaved in a breath and exhaled.

In.

And out.

In.

And out.

When drumming of her heartbeat began to slowly subside, Marinette stood up and dusted her skirt.

Now that she was certain of Juleka’s safety, it was time for her to deal with the two men.

And as if on cue, the men arrived from the backyard and stopped just in front of the main door.

Marinette took a deep breath through her nose.

_You can do this, Marinette._

_Everything will be fine._

Releasing the breath in a staggered manner, Marinette took a trembled step one after the other until she reached the coach. They wore the same uniform as the coachmen. They must have stolen it somewhere. As their faces grew clearer and clearer by every step that she took, Marinette engraved their faces in her memory.

With forced calm stance, Marinette stopped just a few inches from the coach.

One of the men noticed her and began to straighten his neck cloth before bowing. “Lady Juleka, are you ready for our departure?”

Marinette offered him a flourished smile. “Indeed,” she replied. “But is all right if a delay it for a couple of minutes? I have to collect something from my room.”

The man stood straight and gave her wolfish grin. “Not at all, Miss.”

Marinette kept her face calm. “Thank you. It will not be long.”

As soon as the doors closed behind her, Marinette dashed to the parlour, pulled one of the drawers open and retrieved a paper and a pen. She wrote on the paper as fast as she could, her penmanship almost looking like a scribble made by a child. But she didn’t have time to perfect her calligraphy now.

Many lives are at stake.

She made sure that she wrote every single detail and information that she’s gathered. Where she was going to be and what could possibly happen. She folded it in three and went to find a maid she could entrust it to. She saw a maid walk out from the kitchen and recognized her easily. Marinette can trust her. She had been cleaning her room since the day she got in the mansion and she has spoken to her a few times now.

Marinette rushed to her, catching her off guard.

“Lady Marinette,” Mireille widened her eyes at her. “What is wrong? Is there something I can help you with?”

Marinette handed her the letter and clasped it in her hand. “I have to go somewhere for a while but can you do me a favor and give this to _Monsieur_ Adrien as soon as he gets back?”

Mireille looked confused but she accepted the letter all the same. “Of course, my lady. I will deliver it to him as soon as I can.”

Marinette gave her a strained smile. “Thank you.”

Before Mireille could even reply, Marinette was already on her way to the door. She calmed her nerves as best as she can before pushing the doors open once more.

The two men stood in alert and one offered a hand to her, leading her inside the coach. Marinette sat on the seat, her hands rested on her lap. The men sat on the driver’s box and began to prepare the horses for a long, long journey.

“We will be leaving now, Lady Juleka,” said one man, his voice low.

Marinette heaved in a breath and said, “Let us go.”

 

~

 

Marinette didn’t know how long they have been travelling or if they were on the route to Oxford at all. But what she did know was that any time now, she would have to face the consequences of her actions. She kept the curtains parted for a view of wherever it where they were going to and kept her mouth shut. A few people had stolen glances inside the coach and continued whatever it was that they were doing- it was a clear indication that the men made a good job of keeping their act together.

And it did nothing but worry her.

A little girl siting atop of her mother’s shoulders peered through the window with a curios look on her face. Having no energy to start up a conversation with her- and she was afraid of what consequences might come with it –Marinette only managed a small smile.

The little girl blinked at her and then grinned as she gave her a wave before her mother turned them away from the coach to walk towards a fruit stall at the side of the street.

Marinette thought back to the conversation that she overheard not too long ago. They were talking about a _boss._ Who could that be? Or perhaps he was the same that has been targeting the Lavillants. The man that Adrien and Nino were after. If Marinette were to meet him herself, what would she do? She could defend herself, yes, but she knew that it wouldn’t be enough. It wouldn’t be just him after all. Thinking about what could possibly happen to her by the time they find out that she wasn’t Juleka sends a searing pain to her physically and mentally. They would surely extract every single information they could gather from her as much as they can. She knew that her getting herself involved in this would might as well cause her life.

She acted without thinking it through again but she had no time to dwell about that now. She had to deal with the matter at hand and play it through for as long as she could.

The curtain blocking her view of the drivers parted midway. Marinette’s brows drew together as she pondered about what the men could be doing.

“Lady Juleka, it seems that we are nearing our destination,” the man said as he parted the curtains further and craned his head to look at her through the small box. “There is a building not so far away that has an emblem of your association. We would like to ask you if our presumption is right.”

Marinette stuck her head out of the window near her to check. “I could not see it.

“The signage is up front, my lady. You may look through here,” said the man.

Marinette sighed and stood up.

_How bothersome._

She sat on the seat across her and turned her head to look at the said signage.

“Where is i-”

Marinette felt a needle pierce through the side of her neck. She opened her mouth to say something but it seemed as though her voice had drowned out. Her vision was slightly becoming blurry and her body was beginning to feel numb all over.

_What is this?_

Why was she feeling sleepy all of a sudden?

And her legs, she could barely feel them anymore.

Her head started to feel dazed at every passing minute.

As time passed, Marinette felt her eyes close,

and close,

and close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdfghjklfjhvjhldjgljkgkjfdyrjglkjblkvfx


	32. The Brewing Scheme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mr. Agreste finds himself at loss of heart and mind as Miss Marinette begins to decipher to root of it all.

Adrien angrily wiped the blood on his lip as he hopped off his horse. It seemed they were tricked- no. They _were_ tricked. Papillon was nowhere to be seen and apparently, he decided to send a couple of buffoons to meet them in his stead. Instead of having a proper talk and confrontation, the two idiots began bragging about their positions and that _ostensibly_ they were the ones who are to succeed in this mission. As soon as he felt his ear bleed because of the simpletons’ assertions, Adrien drew out his gun and pulled the trigger. He would have killed one of them in one shot if the idiot didn’t step aside that made the bullet sink through his shoulder blade. And after their bullets were long gone, they decided to rely on physical defense.

The two idiots got a few punches on Adrien and Nino but it was no match for their unconscious states at the moment- thanks to Adrien’s mastery of pressure points. He doubted that Papillon would be making use of those two in the future. He swore to the heavens above that from the moment he was given the chance to encounter Papillon, he would give him a good shot to the head.

All the hours of sitting up right and relentless bouncing up and down on their horses was of no use. His back already hurt because of the long journey and because of unplanned circumstances- which was the rather tiring brawl with Papillon’s puppets –they got to the mansions by late evening. His side was beginning to hurt, too, but he couldn’t care less because of his raging annoyance.

Perhaps he could calm down with the help of a certain maiden. But he decided that it would be best if he came to her after he tended to his injuries so that she wouldn’t worry too much.

As Nino limply rolled off his horse, he collapsed on the ground, sprawled himself and let out a loud harsh breath. He got a few painful injuries than Adrien did because the idiot that he was dealing with managed to launch a chair at him. Nino got back with firing a bullet to the man’s chest.

In conclusion, despite of their exhausted state, they still unanimously won the brawl.

“I hate those fuckers,” Nino spat. “I am going to kill both of them once I see them again!” he shouted and clutched his side as he coughed.

Adrien pushed his hair back and walked towards Nino. He crouched and offered a hand to his friend. Nino took it willingly and pulled himself up.

“I am going to kill them,” he said as he swayed on his feet.

Adrien sighed at Nino’s rising temper.

“I am going to kill them,” Nino grunted.

“Nino, calm down.” Adrien said.

Nino turned to him, his eyes filled with rage. “They broke my fucking glasses, Agreste! No one breaks my bloody glasses!” he raged.

Adrien screwed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. “All right. We will kill them just keep your voice down.”

Nino huffed, stomping ahead of him.

Adrien kneaded his shoulder before following Nino.

The mansion seemed like it was the same as they left it earlier. Maids and butlers were bustling through the grand foyer, probably preparing for the night. Though he had not seen any of the maidens in any of the parlours and none of them were outside of their rooms as well. Perhaps they were already asleep or they could be resting.

Adrien went to his room and cleaned his scars as fast as he could. He took a quick shower and change into fresh neat clothes, carefully folding the ones splattered with blood and dirt. He’d rather wash his clothes that had any speck of blood in it than let the maids do the chore for him. They did know that they were spies but they might faint once they see the amount of blood in his clothes.

Convinced that he didn’t look like he had just stepped out of a battlefield anymore, he stepped out of his room and headed to Marinette’s chamber. He relaxed his face into a bleak expression before knocking on her door. He didn’t want to look like he was beyond thrilled to see her- though that was what he was truly feeling.

He waited for a few seconds but the door to her room remained shut.

She might be asleep. But Marinette never sleeps at this hour. She was more of a night owl and Adrien knew that by heart.

He knocked again and pulled out his pocket watch, watching the hand tick and tick, waiting for a familiar face to greet him.

A minute has passed.

Two.

And three.

Marinette never came out.

_What is she doing?_

Marinette usually opens her door just by the first knock and if ever she was going to take quite awhile, she would always let the person know that she would open the door in a minute.

But this time, he didn’t hear even a hint of her voice.

Feeling a slight agitation run through him, Adrien wrapped his fingers around the cold knob, gripping it.

_Please let her be there._

Swallowing down his unease, Adrien turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open.

_Please let her be there._

As soon as the door moved to the side, Adrien lifted his eyes and gazed forward.

The room.

It was…

Empty.

The bed appeared like it hadn’t been touched for hours and the lights weren’t even on. Hoping that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Adrien pressed his thumb on the switched and the lights flickered to life.

But then again,

There was no maiden in sight.

Worry began to snake through him and his heart began to pound harder.

_Where is she?_

Deciding not to get ahead of himself, Adrien closed the door and knocked on the room that was next to it. Alya pulled the door open with a curious look on her face as she saw who it was.

“Uh, I think you got the wrong room,” she said.

Adrien shook his head. “No. I would like to ask if you know where Marinette is.”

Alya blinked at him. “Mari?” She turned her head to the side. She cupped her chin, seeming to be in deep thought. “Ah, yes,” she said, turning back to him. “She was not here when I got back from the square so I presumed that she came with Juleka to Cambridge.”

Adrien furrowed his brows. “Cambridge?”

“Yes. Juleka was tasked to meet with their clients in Cambridge and Oxford today. Their coach would not be able to come back till tomorrow.”

Adrien let out a sigh of relief.

_Thank goodness._

But why did it seem like it wasn’t enough? Why did he feel as though he was missing something?

Adrien tried again. “Are you certain that she is with Juleka?”

Alya scrunched her nose. “I think so, yes.”

It must be because he was feeling too worried that his feelings were beginning to get missed up. If Alya believed that Marinette was safe then he should, too. She was Marinette’s bestfriend after all.

“But to be honest,” Alya began.

Adrien’s head shot up as she began talking.

“I feel quite worried,” she confessed. “Mari, never leaves without telling me where she is going and she rarely leaves the mansion without me- or you,” she added. “But if she was coerced to come with Juleka then that might just be the case.”

Alya shoulder’s drooped. “And I want to believe that that was what truly happened.”

Adrien sighed deeply, feeling his headache. “Let us not get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “She might truly be with Juleka and we might be worrying for nothing.”

After a moment, Alya nodded in agreement.

Adrien placed his hand on Alya’s shoulder, giving it a soft pat. “You should get some sleep. I apologize for interrupting you at this time of the night.”

Alya offered him a small smile. “It is all right.”

“I shall be going then.” Adrien bowed and turned on his heel.

He paused mid-step, suddenly remembering something. “If you want to see Nino, he is in his room probably bawling about his broken glasses.”

Alya let out a chuckle. “That sounds like something he would actually do.”

Adrien smiled. It was the first time that he and Alya had a proper talk and he had to admit, she wasn’t as bad as he thought she was. In fact, she was rather friendly despite of what he thought. Now he understood why Nino fell for her.

“Oh, and if you find something out regarding Marinette please do tell me,” said Alya.

Adrien gave her a nod. “I will.”

He began walking down the hall, his mind filled with thoughts of Marinette’s whereabouts. She might really be with Juleka and if she were he should stop worrying right at that moment.

But he knew that it was far from possible.

Adrien would only stop worrying about her only when he sees her.

Only when he sees her smile at him.

Only then.

Taking in a deep breath, Adrien calmed his nerves down and began to head back to his room. He should get some sleep. Once tomorrow comes he vowed that he would be up to his feet and wait for Marinette’s arrival.

If only time ran faster.

Before he could enter his room, he heard an unfamiliar voice call him.

“ _Monsieur_ Agreste, is that you?”

Adrien turned around and saw a maid.

“Yes,” he replied. “Is something the matter?”

The maid pulled out a paper from her apron’s pocket and handed it to him.

Adrien forced himself to refrain for rolling his eyes.

It was another note from Papillon.

“It came from Lady Marinette.”

_Oh._

His eyes widened at her name.

“Lady Marinette?”

The maid nodded. “Yes, sir. She gave that letter to me this morning. She told me to give it to you once I can.”

His head began to be tangled in knots. Why would Marinette give him a letter?

“I do not mean to intrude, sir. But I suggest that you read that as soon as you enter your room,” said the maid. “I was a psychologist in my younger years, sir and I could tell straight away when she handed me that note. Lady Marinette’s eyes,” the maid paused. “It screamed fear.”

All the air in his body dispersed as he heard the maid’s confession.

_Why?_

_Why was she scared?_

“I shall be going now, sir. Thank you for listening,” said the maid as she bowed and left.

Adrien was frozen in place as he held the letter in his hand. Never had he felt so much fright regarding a letter. It didn’t even compare to the notes that he has received or even his father’s letter.

What could Marinette’s letter hold?

Remembering what the maid had told him, Adrien unfolded the note with his trembling fingers. At first glance it seemed impossible to understand the writings. Adrien theorized that Marinette was in a rush when she wrote this.

Heaving in a breath once more, Adrien began to read the letter.

_Adrien,_

_I apologize for leaving without telling you or anyone else but I had to do it. Juleka’s life is in danger and I heard a couple of men planning to take her away and lock her up until their boss is satisfied. I did not have the heart to let her step in that coach. And so I asked Stefano to accompany her to Cambridge where she will meet with their clients. I have pretended to be Juleka and rode the coach that she was supposed to. We are headed to Oxford but I do not know if we are truly going to head there. But they said that it is in Oxford where their boss will be waiting. I do not know what is going to happen to me or what is to come. If things turn out the way I hope and want them to then we shall be together again. I do not want to think of what could happen if it does not. This is all I can tell you for now. They are waiting for me outside and they might become suspicious if I take any longer. I will be waiting for you. Always._

_I love you._

_Marinette_

Adrien’s knees shook and his fear paralyzed him.

Marinette.

She wasn’t with Juleka.

She was headed to Oxford where Papillon’s men were going to imprison her for heaven knows how long. She sacrificed herself for Juleka’s sake.

Adrien was barely able to breathe as he stared at the letter on and on.

Marinette needed him. She wasn’t safe and he just thinking about what those men could do to her sent a raging fury to his system and pang to his heart.

He didn’t even get to say goodbye to her when he left.

If anything happened to her he was never going to forgive Papillon and all of his men.

He buried the letter in his pocket and ran to Nino’s room as fast as he could.

He was going to save her.

No matter how hard it takes.

He will get her back.

 

~

 

Marinette felt a searing pain on her head as she gained back a little consciousness.

_What happened?_

She remembered leaving the mansion with two men. And she remembered feeling fear. And then they asked her to confirm something and then…

And then she was here.

She blinked her eyes a few times but she couldn’t see a thing. She then realized that there was a fabric tied around her head, blocking her vision. Marinette made a move to take them off but her hands were on her back and were tied as well. She attempted sit up, lifting her body up from the cold floor. Her shins felt numb and her feet…

It too was tied.

Marinette’s chest began to tighten with horror and distress.

Where was she?

And why did they tie her up?

She doubted that she would be able to escape anyway.

Marinette took a couple of deep breaths, desperately trying to regain control of her emotions. She shouldn’t fret too much. They might find it amusing if she did. She had to be strong.

And she had to escape.

Marinette tried to loosen the rope around her hands by turning her wrists but the rough material scraped her skin making it hard to do continuously. The cloth around her head was tied tightly, too. She wouldn’t be able to take it off easily.

Her lips were beginning to feel dry and chapped, she was starting to shiver as well- not only because it was cold but because her fear rose and rose.

Marinette then remembered the latter that she wrote. Did Adrien receive it already? Had he read it? Was he coming for her?

Marinette relied on the hope that he was going to save her. That after all this, they would be together again she would be able to tell him that she loved him once more. And that she would spend the rest of her life with him.

She would have to believe in that for now.

Now that they had captured her instead of Juleka, Marinette had no idea of what her fate held. She might die in a matter of seconds or she might have to trade the life she will be having with Adrien for years of torture. Thinking of how may things turn out made her eyes well up. Marinette gulped, forcing her tears back. Crying would be of no help. She had to believe in herself and that she would surpass this.

And if she did conquer this, she would have seen the boss’ face by then. And with that knowledge she would be able to help Adrien and Nino with their mission and it would be finally over.

All of their suffering would finally be paved away.

The sound of the door swinging open made Marinette jump.

_Who is it?_

“There you go,” said one of the men from earlier. “Lady Juleka.”

Marinette felt her chest pound as their footsteps grew louder and louder. She dragged herself backward, pressing her back against the wall.

“She had been unconscious until now, I presume. She might still be hazed but we she shall be able to attend to what we need,” said the other.

If it were about the Lavillant’s business, Marinette had nothing to give them. They could interrogate her for as long as they want but she will be keeping her mouth shut. Even if she was beyond clueless.

“Lady Juleka, you say?”

Marinette felt alarmed as she heard the too familiar voice.

_Could it be?_

Suddenly, the fabric around her eyes was discarded to the side and she winced at the sudden light shining from above. Marinette blinked a few times before her vision finally adjusted.

As soon as it did, she hoped that the blindfold hadn’t been removed in the first place.

Théo smirked, his face just a few inches from hers.

“It seems you have been fooled,” he said.

“Beg pardon?” said the man.

Théo chuckled, keeping his eyes locked on hers. “I am afraid you failed to catch the lady that Papillion wanted,” he said and twirled a strand of her hair on his finger. “You caught what I wanted instead.”

Marinette turned away from him, making the hair fall from his finger.

_Of all the people._

“Are you telling us that this is not Lady Juleka?”

Théo shook his head. “No, gentlemen. This is Lady Marinette,” he paused, his smirk turning even more sinister. “The very maiden who has captured Adrien Agreste’s heart.”

Marinette trembled with fury. Once Adrien finds her, Théo would surely regret that he even considered touching her.

“Agreste?!” the man exclaimed. “The damned spy who killed Nathaniel and the one who kept on making our colleagues wish they were dead whenever they encounter him?”

Marinette couldn’t help but feel some sort proudness. No one should ever mess with Adrien.

“Indeed.” Théo replied.

The man grabbed his gun and hauled it towards Marinette, making her wince in fright.

“Then why do we not kill her.”

She was caught off guard when Théo _tsked_ and said, “We shall not waste a beautiful maiden just because of our remorse towards that spy. And in fact,” he gazed at her once more. “I am considering of keeping her to myself.”

Feeling her blood boil, Marinette turned her head and spat at him. “Never.” Marinette stressed.

Théo laughed once, wiping the spit from his face. “You are quite the lady, Marinette. You impress me every time we meet.”

Marinette glowered at him. “I pity you for mistaking my clear indication of hate and despise for impressions.”

Théo snorted, the corner of his mouth turning up. “There is a saying that goes _‘The more you hate the more you love.’_ ”

Marinette glared. “I will never love a bastard and a sick excuse of a man as you. I would rather let one of those idiots kill me than be with you.”

Théo roared in laughter.

Seeing him think of it as a joke only made Marinette annoyed to the point that she would do everything in her power to get a hold of her heels and slam it on his head.

“Ah, you flatter me, Marinette,” he said, wiping the tears in his eyes.

“Go to hell.” Marinette fired.

Being in the same room with him already made her want to vomit the contents of her stomach. That was how much she despised him.

Théo chuckled, shaking his head at her. “This would have been easier for you if you had not refused my compliments. Now I have something to look forward to whenever I visit this cellar.”

Marinette spat on him again.

_Bastard._

Théo wiped his face with his sleeve, his smirk slowly disappearing. “No wonder why that man fell for you,” he muttered. “But I do have to say that you will have to share this cellar with another one of our captured baits. I suggest that you be friendly with him, love.”

Marinette scowled. “If you dare to say that endearment to me once more I will spit on you again,” she warned.

Théo grinned. “I shall be careful then.”

Finally, he stood up and walked to the door. He passed the two men and nodded inside the cellar. The man understood and disappeared from the doorway for a moment. When they came back, they held a man by his arms and without warning, they flung him in the room.

Marinette felt a loss at words as the man in front of her grumbled in pain. His clothes were dirty and it appeared like he had been locked up in a different cellar for days. Marinette presumed that he was captured even before she was.

Swallowing her fear, Marinette spoke in a small trembling voice. “S-Sir, are you all right?”

The man struggled in his binds.

Marinette licked her chapped lips. “Sir?”

And as the man slowly lifted his head up, Marinette gasped and a renewed fear cursed through.

_It is him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank youuu for continuing to read this story~!
> 
> The next chapters are going to be jahsgajkhsdakjsfgkajh. Aaand we only have a few chapters lefft ToT- and they are helluva longgg. 
> 
> Commentzz nd kudos are always appreciated!! Thank you again!! <33


	33. The Infamous Papillon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the long awaited revelation has finally been uncovered.

He gripped on the reins, his knuckles turning white as he swerved a corner. The night’s crisp cold air harshly hit his face as they ventured through the dark webs of almost empty paths. Adrien had Marinette’s letter securely folded in his pocket as his horse travelled the road to Oxford. As soon as he had told Nino about what had happened, his colleague jumped out of the bed, disregarding his own troubles regarding his glasses. He had told Alya about it, too. She insisted that she should come as well but both Adrien and Nino refused. It would be safer if she stayed in mansion and they vowed that they would come back in London with Marinette safe and sound.

The light of the moon and the stars scattered above them served as their guide through their long and daunting journey. It was so late that the streets almost appeared empty and lamplights dangled on their hooks on specific cottages. Nino was forcing himself to keep his eyes from falling shut while all of Adrien’s sleepiness paved away in an instant from the moment that he read her letter.

His back was beginning to ache from the ride that seemed to have stretched for forever. They were still too far away from Oxford but they were nearing on reaching the first half of their travel.

Adrien pulled on his reins rather harshly as they curved a street. His horse’s back leg slipped but it immediately gained its balance. He could also feel the beginning strain and tiredness of the horses. They would have to stop soon. Adrien knew that it was impossible to travel from London to Oxford in a day. And yet he made the foolish decision of hoping that they could do it.

His stomach was growling from the lack of dinner but he should not think about that now.

_Has Marinette eaten already?_

_Is she all right?_

_Is she scared?_

_Is she crying right at this moment?_

_Is she waiting for me?_

Adrien scrunched his face in fury as thoughts of her trembling body crossed his mind. Marinette was a strong lady but she too had her limitations. He would get to her as soon as he can but he had to acknowledge the fact that it may be sooner than he wanted and needed.

But he wouldn’t give up.

Never.

Adrien gnashed his teeth as he felt his horse’s pace begin to dwindle down. They would not be able to reach Oxford at this state. Adrien didn’t want to stop but…

“Adrien,” Nino called from behind him. “I am afraid we have to stop for tonight.”

Adrien clenched the reins in his hands, feeling the weight on his chest burden him furthermore.

Nino reached his side and patted his arm. “We have to let the horses rest, Adrien. We too, need to sleep. I promise you that we will continue our journey from the moment that the sun comes up.” Nino encouraged. “We will save her.”

Nino was right. If they continue to venture through the dark they might as well arrest Marinette’s captors with their eyes half-closed.

He let out a deep sigh and briefly closed his eyes.

“Understood.”

They managed to find a clear patch amongst the forest that they decided to stay the night on. There were no nearby inns and they doubted that there would even be a room for them. They tied their horses around tree trunks and allowed them to regain the energy that they have lost for the past hours. Adrien slumped down on the ground, leaning his back against a tree.

What could Marinette be doing now?

She filled his thoughts as he gazed up in the stars.

Was she already sleeping?

“That idiot,” he said, his voice coming out as a whisper.

Why did she have to be so selfless?

Adrien heaved out a breath, feeling all the energy drain out of his body.

“Get some sleep, Agreste.” Nino yawned. “If Marinette were here she would certainly scold you for not sleeping at this time.”

Adrien snorted, feeling a pang on his chest. “She would punch me to sleep, that is what she would do.”

Nino chuckled once. “Ah, you really do love her, do you?”

Normally, it would have caught him off guard. But he told himself that once they were together again, he would make sure that she would know just how much he loved her with all of his heart.

“I do,” he admitted.

The sound of the forest resonated around them as Nino muttered a goodnight. Adrien’s eyes were starting to feel heavy as the forest’s view was slowly being replaced with Marinette’s smiling face.

“I really do,” he said once more as he succumbed into a deep slumber.

 

~

 

Adrien and Nino were aboard their horses as soon as there was a hint of the sun’s morning glow. Though they had only slept for a couple of hours, it was enough for them to replenish a bit of their vigor. It was better than having nothing at all. And gladly, their horses had regained their stamina. Just a few more miles and they would finally reach Oxford.

The smell of fresh baked bread tempted both of the spies to step down their horses and have a bite but both of them knew that they wouldn’t even enjoy it as they were evidently consumed by thoughts of Marinette and Papillon. Adrien tried to keep his thinking positive as they weaved through the people that had crowded the streets. If only he knew th identities of Papillon’s colleagues then this mission would have been far easier. As of now, he only knew two. One of which, was dead.

Him knowing that it was Nathaniel who had attacked Marinette back in the gallery convinced him more that Nathaniel deserved his immediate death. This world need not to have men like him to exist. He would hunt down every single one of them if he could. But first, he had to focus on getting Marinette back.

They took short breaks along the way to allow their horses to rest and would get back on the track as fast as they could. They had earned a few questionable glances from people through their journey. They must have been wondering why they were such in a hurry early in the morning. Some even tried to pull them out of the road just to coerce them into buying particular products.

If Adrien could haul out his gun and let a bullet escape from it just to shut the people down, he would have already done it if only it wouldn’t result to a death of a person because of a stray bullet falling from the sky.

As the morning turned into afternoon and the morning glow had transformed into warm swathes of orange and yellow, Adrien and Nino were welcomed by the humungous sign atop of the arch in front of them.

Nino breathed out, looking at the sign. “We have arrived.”

 

~

 

They slowed the paces of their horses as their eyes skirted through and through Oxford. Horses galloped past them as they pulled on the carriages attached on them. Adrien’s neck already hurt from scanning every inch of their environment but there wasn’t any sign of an abandoned carriage that had come from the mansion. An emblem of the Lavillant family could be seen as the back of their coaches and all of coaches had the uniform color of blue, white and gold so it would be easy to spot them. But in their case, Marinette’s captors might have hidden it well.

“I think we should ask some of the folks.” Nino suggested.

Adrien nodded, inspecting the crowd. He hopped down his horse and wrapped its reins around one of his hands as he tapped a gentleman’s shoulder.

“Good day, sir. I would like to ask if you have perhaps seen a coach in the color of blue, gold and white.”

The man squinted his eyes and then shook his head. “I am afraid not. You should have asked the people near the entryway of Oxford.”

Adrien wanted to punch himself.

Why haven’t they thought that?

He bowed at the man and thanked him for his cooperation. Nino had begun asking other people, too. But it appeared like he had no luck in gaining information regarding the coach as well.

Adrien asked at least a dozen more people but none of them seemed to have seen a sign of the coach as well. He wanted to scream at the top of lungs to call out her name but he knew that, that wouldn’t do. Adrien wanted to punch someone to let all of his anguish out but he didn’t want to make a scene.

He just wanted to find her and be with her again.

_Where could I have gone wrong?_

As Adrien was beginning to be filled with doubts his motivation started dwindling down, he stopped on his tracks as he saw a little girl looking up at him, her head tilted to the side. Adrien furrowed his brows at her before realizing that he had absentmindedly knocked all of the fruits in her basket. He might have bumped on her while he was asking the fruit vendor earlier.

He crouched down, picking up the fruits on the ground and placed them inside her basket.

“You look sad,” said the little girl.

Adrien flickered his eyes at her, a weak smile on his lips. “I did not know that it was that obvious.”

The girl pouted. “Mama said that being sad is not good for you.”

Adrien shook his head and sighed. “It is not.”

The little girl hummed, allowing him to put all of the fruits back in her basket. “Why are you sad?”

Adrien swallowed, his heart skipping a beat.

“Because I am afraid that I many not see her again.”

Hearing the words with his own voice broke him. He didn’t want to give up but he was feeling so helpless. He didn’t know what to do and he didn’t know how in the world he could get to her. But he had to rely on the fact that Marinette was waiting for him. And he did not intend on making her wait for nothing.

He didn’t want to break her heart once more.

He was caught off guard by the sudden pat on his head.

“You will see her again, I promise.” The little girl said.

Adrien chuckled, weakly. “How do you know that?”

The little girl tilted her head up, a pout on her lips, seeming to be thinking of something. “I was once lost in the market and I could not find my Mama. And then I told myself that I would wait for her to come and get me. And then Mama finally found me. She said that it was a good thing she never thought of giving up on me and that no matter what happens or wherever I may be, she will always find me. Because we belong together.”

The words carved themselves in Adrien’s heart and mind.

They belonged together.

He belonged to Marinette and only her. He would never find someone else- and refuses to –that was as charming and lovable as her. She was the only girl that he would ever love more than anything in this world.

Finally letting himself genuinely smile, he said, “That is correct. You have my thanks for motivating me again.”

The little girl beamed at him. “You are welcome.”

He placed the last two fruits on her basket. “I do not suppose that you have seen a coach with the colors blue, white and gold, have you not?”

Ah, well, asking the little girl might be of no help.

Adrien made a move to stand up to go back to asking around when he felt a tug on his coat.

“Maybe.” The little girl said to him.

Adrien raised a brow. “Maybe?”

The little girl nodded. “Maybe,” she said once more. “I think I saw something like that.”

Adrien fished a cloth from his pocket and showed it to the girl. “Have you seen something like this on the coach?”

The little girl narrowed her eyes at the emblem on the cloth. She scrunched her nose, deep thought. Then, her eyes widened. “Yes! I did see that. It was at the back,” she smiled proudly at herself.

Adrien felt his heart pound again at what he has heard. The little girl couldn’t be lying for attention, could she? She did seem like a nice girl and it would be easy to tell if a child lies.

“The lady,” she said as though she had just remembered. “The pretty lady that smiled at me,” she looked up at him. “Is she the one you want to see?”

Adrien’s breath shook.

Could it be?

“What,” he paused, his voice quivering. “What did the lady look like?”

The little girl hummed, forcing herself to remember. “She was pretty. And she had blue eyes and blue hair. She looked sad, too.”

His knees wobbled, catching himself by leaning onto the horse.

It was her.

It was Marinette.

Wasting no time, he asked the girl another question. “Do you remember where the coach went? Can you show me where you saw it go?”

The little girl nodded. She turned on her heel and stood up on her tiptoes, shielding her eyes for a better view.

“There!” she exclaimed as she pointed at the far end corner. “I saw them go there. I remember passing by a building there a few times with my friends from school. It looks like a haunted house on the outside but I do not believe that it is because ghosts do not exist.”

Adrien let out a relieve breath and immediately hopped on his horse. Before calling out to Nino he said to the little girl, “May I know your name, little miss?”

“Manon,” she grinned. “My name is Manon Chamack.”

Adrien offered her a smile. “Thank you, Manon. If ever we meet again in the future I shall buy any fruit you want.”

Manon smiled and the nodded her head vigorously. Her little hand dived into her basket and pulled out a small apple, handing it to him.

“If the pretty lady is in trouble you should throw that at your enemy’s head,” she suggested.

“I will,” said Adrien. “I have to go now. Thank you again, Manon.”

And with that, Adrien made his way to Nino and grabbed him by the collar.

_Finally._

_~_

They stopped in front of the building that Manon told him about. It was far away from the central and was almost in the middle of a wilting field. It seemed to have been abandoned years ago. Adrien recognized it by her description of it looking like a haunted house. Some of the front windows were shattered and the wooden door had chapped portions. The walls were covered with vines and molds. They couldn’t hear any hint of sound coming from inside but that could just be because Papillon’s team perfected the illusion of being silent.

“Are you certain that they are here?” asked Nino.

Adrien jumped off his horse and lead it to the side where it could hide. “Perhaps. We should check the back of the building.”

Nino nodded in agreement and they quietly made their way at the very back of the building. If he were clueless, he would have thought that it was haunted as well. The lawn in the backyard showed no inkling of it being trimmed for months- years even. Adrien didn’t even want to think of the possibility that there may be snakes lurking around them.

There was a door at the side of the wall but then someone might already be guarding it- if ever they were inside the damned building. Adrien’s gaze landed on the window not too far off ground the right side of building. They would have to go through there.

Adrien’s thoughts were put to a stop when Nino cleared his throat. Adrien glanced back at him, wondering what he wanted to imply. Nino nodded the end of the vast lawn where there stood the coach stolen from the mansion.

“This is the place.” Nino concluded.

Adrien nodded. He looked back at the window he was surveying earlier. “You have to give me a boost.”

“Excuse me?”

Adrien pulled out his gun and rushed to the wall. “There,” he nodded at the window atop him. “We will enter through there.”

Nino let out a long grumble indicating his protest but he knelt with his hands laced together in front of him all the same.

Adrien placed his right foot on Nino’s hand while his hand went to grip Nino’s head to properly balance himself.

“My head is not a goddamn ball, Agreste.” Nino whispered harshly.

“Shut your mouth.” Adrien snapped. He bent his knees, preparing himself for a big jump. “On three,” he said. “One-”

Nino abruptly pushed his foot upwards. Adrien thanked his reflexes for jumping in time of Nino’s stupid movement.

“Idiot,” Adrien cursed as he secured his arm on the windowsill. He took a quick glimpse inside and when he was certain that there was nobody inside he hauled himself up and punched on the glass of the window. He couldn’t give a damn about the commotion that he had probably caused. He had to get in there. He slipped his arm inside and found the hook that locked the windows. He turned it around and pulled it forward, keeping himself from falling straight to the ground. He dragged his body inside through the opening of the window and landed on the dusty floor of the empty room. Adrien glanced around for a prop that he could use to help Nino up. Grabbing the thick cane discarded at the side, he went back on the window and directed the cane’s hook down at Nino.

Nino bounced on the balls of his feet. “You better prepare yourself, Agreste.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Just grab the damn cane.”

After seconds of vein popping pull of the cane, Nino had finally joined him in the room. Nino pulled out his gun and chambered a round.

“Where do we go from here?”

Adrien walked towards the door and narrowed his eyes as he looked through the small creak between the door and its frame. It looked like an empty hall but if there were someone outside, he and Nino could easily defend themselves.

“I think the coast is clear.”

He turned the knob and the door revealed an indeed empty hall. The spies positioned their guns for proper aim as they walked through the hall. There were no other rooms on the floor except for the one they entered through and the one they were headed at that was directly across the previous one. Adrien twisted the knob and kicked it open, again revealing nothing but a dusty space.

He turned to Nino and nodded down the stairs. Fortunately, unlike the path they walked on the hall, the stairs seemed much sturdy. They reached the foyer and inspected every space and room but they found nothing. There was a door at the far corner that seemed like it was hard to notice at first glance. Adrien assumed that someone might be in there or that they could have used it as a hiding place since it was obscured. He pushed the door opened, hauled the gun upwards and was welcomed by a free space once more.

“Where to next?” Nino asked, quietly.

Sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the space.

Adrien grabbed Nino’s wrist and guided him behind the stairwell. He kept his gun firmly in his hands as the footsteps grew nearer. Adrien poked his head through the whorled railings as a man spoke.

“Another squirrel must have broken the window. This place is abandoned after all,” he said.

_Stupid._

_No squirrel could punch a window that hard._ Adrien thought.

Adrien squinted his eyes as the two men drew the red curtain aside, revealing another room.

He waited for a few seconds before they stepped out of the stairwell. He stood next to Nino and cocked his head at the curtains beside the grandfather clock. At first it didn’t seemed like it concealed anything. Adrien thought that it only covered a humongous window.

As Adrien was about tug on the thick and heavy fabric, Nino stepped ahead of him and gestured him to stand behind.

“If they shoot me you have to shoot them back,” he whispered.

Adrien understood and gave him a nod. He hid his body behind the curtain as Nino drew it back.

“Oops?”

He heard Nino say before a click of a gun was heard.

They shouldn’t make any sound.

Adrien pulled the apple from his pocket, appeared beside Nino and launched it at the man who had his gun pointed at Nino. Nino rushed inside and began grappling the other man. Adrien took care of the man who now lay on the ground- thank to the apple and Manon. He grabbed a tapestry and quickly tied the man’s hands and feat and made him bite down on the apple. Nino had successfully knocked out his ted up victim as well.

They had only begun acknowledging their victory when another set of three men emerged from the hall at the corner.

One man tilted his head at Adrien and said, “Agreste?”

_Three against two._

“Damn the noise.” Adrien muttered before pulling the gun out of his pocket and shot a bullet.

The man collapsed on the ground, clutching his now bleeding arm. Adrien ran towards him and sent his foot directly on the man’s crotch, making him cry in pain. Another colleague grasped his wrist from behind, formed a fist and aimed it at his face. Adrien dodged around, taking a few steps back as the man tried for another punch. Adrien maneuvered himself to the side and landed a kick on the low of the man’s back. The man grunted and shot daggers at Adrien with his eyes.

Adrien gulped as he examined the man’s built.

He was bigger than him.

 _Way_ bigger.

Without any warning, the man rammed on him and sent Adrien to crash against the brick wall. His head began to throb as the back of his head took most of the blow. Why in the world did he have to deal with the big guy? As the man loomed above him, Adrien took the chance the slide himself between the man’s legs, stood up and delivered a flying kick to the man’s head.

The man let out a loud grunt of annoyance. He gritted his teeth as he seethed with anger. He took the chair beside him and hurtled it towards Adrien. Adrien swerved around, caught the chair’s arm and launched it back at his opponent. The man casually blocked the chair with his arms as if it were a flimsy thing and charged back at Adrien. Adrien grabbed a hold of his gun and aimed it at the man’s chest. The bullet pierced through the fabric of his clothing as he ignored the pain and continued to land a punch on Adrien.

 _Just what exactly is this guy?_ Adrien thought exasperatedly.

Hell, the bullet barely even had an effect on him.

The man growled and lunged at Adrien. Thinking that it was for another punch, Adrien blocked his face but then he felt a searing pain on his left arm. He glanced at it and saw the blood now sticking to the fabric of his clothes.

“Fucking hell,” he cursed, biting his lip as it stung.

The slice of the knife was followed by a punch on the exact spot where he had been wounded. Adrien grunted in pain and he knees shook. The man grabbed Adrien’s gun but instead of letting it go, he turned on his heel and slammed his elbow on the side of the man’s head. He wasn’t sure if he hit his pressure point but it was near to his temple.

That should do for now.

Adrien pulled the trigger once more and landed a bullet on the other side of the man’s chest. The man growled as the pain started to act up on him. He dashed towards Adrien and at the same time Adrien felt a breath on his neck. He grabbed the man by his shirt and hauled him towards whoever it was who was behind him.

The two of them- the giant and the man he had kicked on his groin –laid down on the floor. Adrien practically dragged his feet towards them before stopping in front of the smaller one and kicked him hard in the groin again. Adrien knelt before the big guy, grabbed his collar, pulled him up and punched the side of his face. He repeated the punch for a couple more times as Nino dragged the other man away from them and began binding him.

Adrien pulled him up, feeling his arms ache from the weight. “Where is Lady Marinette?” he asked, his voice deep and hoarse.

The man coughed and purposely sputtered blood onto Adrien’s face.

Adrien’s irritation flared as he wiped the blood on his face with the back of his hand. As he finished, he collided his fist against the man’s head once more before taking the knife from the floor beside the man and launched it across the room, making the knife dig through the wood.

As soon as they have securely fastened all of the five men together, sure enough that they would not escape, Adrien and Nino turned to each other.

“What the hell happened to you?” asked Adrien as he saw Nino’s busted lip and the side of his right eye beginning to swell.

“Those motherfuckers are quite a bunch,” he said. Nino nodded at the blood on Adrien’s arm. “He got you?”

Adrien glowered. “He was lucky I did not kill him.”

Nino let out a worn out breath and stretched his back. “What do we do now? I doubt that they are going to offer us anything.”

“Indeed,” Adrien agreed.

Where could they have hidden Marinette?

And of all the rooms in the building why did they choose to scattered around here instead?

“Follow me,” he said.

Adrien went to the hall where the three men had emerged from. There must be something in there that they didn’t want others to see. The hall was poorly lit and the wallpapers were precariously glued on the wall. A long carpet covered the ground as it stretched into a dead end. If the hall had no rooms whatsoever. Then why did the men come there in the first place?

Adrien retraced his steps, his eyes fixated on the carpet.

_There must be something in here._

He stopped mid-step as he saw something odd.

Adrien knelt down, running his fingers through a particular portion of the carpet.

“What is wrong?” Nino followed in suit, wondering what was running through his partner’s mind.

Adrien’s fingers stopped at a specific twirl. “This does not match from its root.”

If you look at it well, it was evident that the twirl looked more like a zigzag unlike the intricate ones that surrounded it. Adrien dug his nails through the carpet and his fingers sank through the fabric. He lifted the carpet and threw it aside and they were faced with a small door carved onto the wooden ground.

“A hidden room,” said Nino. “Clever.”

Adrien grasped the thin metal handle pulled it upwards together with the wood. He and Nino stood up as they gazed into nothingness. They couldn’t see anything. It was just…black.

“And how exactly are we supposed to know that that does not lead to a pond of crocodiles?”

Adrien huffed and dipped his foot to feel for something. As his shoe caught on a bar, he stooped down and began to descend the ladder.

Nino blinked at him and then shrugged. “Ah, well, I did not think of that.”

Adrien jumped down as the ladder ended and he landed with a thud. Nino followed soon after. His vision adjusted to the black room or space rather as he desperately tried to gaze on and on. If only he had night vision. He chambered a round of his gun as he stepped further into the room.

“They might as well kill us right here and now if they decide to keep on blinding us with this endless darkness.” Nino complained. “This could not be a graveyard of some sort because it does not especially smell like one.”

Adrien’s head shot to the side as he heard faint breathing.

But then again it could have come from either of them.

“I think we should get back up.” Nino suggested.

“Do you think so?”

“Perhaps so.”

Adrien thought about it.

“All right,” he said. “Just let me fire a bullet or two.” He hoisted his gun upwards and began to push his finger down the trigger.

And right at that moment, a flicker of light shone from a dangling single light bulb from a space not too far from them. Adrien blocked his eyes at the sudden brightness.

“Hell, that hurt my eyes!” said Nino.

Adrien rubbed his eye as she pulled up his gun once more.

The sight before him loosened his grip on the handle of his gun. His breath shook and his body trembled with fear and fury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Had to split this in two because the whole chapter took up 30 pages in word doc form. >_<
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read this storyy! :)
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated :))


	34. The Infamous Papillon: PART TWO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PART TWO

She sat on a chair her hands bound behind her and was laced through the chair’s back. Her legs, too, were roped to the chair. Adrien could see faint streaks of tears on her cheeks as she shoulders shook and shuddered. She was the one that he must have heard earlier. She couldn’t call out to them because of the fabric tied around her mouth.

Nino gasped as his eyes found the lady in front of them. Adrien took a single step forward but he couldn’t seem to take another.

What was happening to him?

“Marinette?” he croaked, feeling the weight on his heart seeming to have grown only worse.

Faint sounds of her muffled cries resonated through him.

_What have they done to you?_

Adrien took a couple more steps, his pace quickening.

Marinette’s muffled voice grew louder as she furiously shook her head.

_What?_

Adrien couldn’t understand what she was saying but whenever he decided to take another step, her muffled cries only grew louder and intense and the more she shakes her head.

_Why?_

_Why do you not want me to come to you?_

“What is she saying, Adrien?”

“I have no idea.” Adrien replied. “I does not matter. I will get her.”

Marinette seemed to begin shouting at him with same word but it didn’t sound too clear. Adrien was only a few inches away from her when another light shone not too far away from Marinette. Adrien froze as he saw another person bound on a chair.

Fear clawed through him as he recognized the person without any second thoughts.

_Why?_

_Why did he have to be here?_

“Father?”

Gabriel Agreste gazed at his son, his eyes brimming with tears. Adrien took a staggered step backwards, almost stumbling.

His father and Marinette…

Why did it have to be them?

His chest stuttered as a realization hit him.

Could it be that he was the target all along?

“Adrien!” Nino shouted from behind him.

Adrien glanced back at him and Nino was now being grappled by two men.

“Let him go.” Adrien pointed his gun at them, ready to pull the trigger when a voice rang at the far end of the room.

“Ah, I am afraid that won’t do, Adrien.”

Adrien’s heart leapt to his throat as he heard the voice. Though he hated to admit it, his chest began to tighten with fear.

“You would not want to kill another man in front of not only your lover but your father as well now do you?”

Adrien balled his fists, his fear now starting to be replaced by fury. His pulse slammed on his neck as he pieced all of it together, finally coming into a complete and concrete conclusion that he should have figured out long ago if only he hadn’t been too dense.

Adrien licked his lips, stilling his voice. “What do you want from me, Sinclair?”

His sinister laughter that he knew too well resounded through the room. “Even if I do tell you, I think it is evident that neither you or your father are going to be able to give it to me,” he stated. “Not even in a million years.” Sinclair added.

Adrien took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He turned around, finally coming face to face with the man that they had been chasing all along.

Sinclair stood just a few inches away from his father. His mouth quirked up, forming a smirk, “I believe we have not been properly introduced,” he began. “Papillon, at your service,” he bowed. “The one and the only.”

“I am going to kill you, Sinclair!” Nino raged from behind Adrien.

Sinclair laughed. “I believe that you are not able to do that now, Agent Lahiffe. Have you forgotten about the men holding you back?”

Nino grunted. “You heartless bastard!”

Sinclair guffawed, his shoulders shaking in amusement. “Always have, always will, gentlemen.”

Adrien kept his stare directed at Sinclair. “Why are you doing this?”

Sinclair cocked his head at him. “Why am I doing this, you ask? ‘Tis a very long story as I have been told. Are you certain that you are willing to listen to-”

“We trusted you.” Adrien cut him off. “ _I_ trusted you,” he said through his gritted teeth. “You put us through this goddamn mission for what? To toy with us? To put innocent people’s lives in danger? You fabricated this hell of a mission to suit your enjoyment, is that it? Was that your purpose all along?”

Sinclair let out a long sigh as though the situation bored him to death.

Adrien wanted to plant a thousand bullets on his body more than anything.

“I guess you could say that it was quite amusing,” he admitted.

Adrien snarled at him.

“And no, I did not intend to put innocent people’s lives in danger- seeing as those people are not innocent at all.” He then made his way towards Marinette. “Though I have to admit that she was originally not included in my plan. I did intend on capturing Juleka and have Jermaine there with you on your spot. But oh, how the tables have turned.”

“Don’t you dare touch her.” Adrien warned.

Sinclair backed away with a smile. “But it is that expression of yours that made me want to include her right away.” Sinclair glanced at Nino. “Your lover, too, of course.”

“I am going to fuck you up, Sinclair.” Nino grunted.

“Ah, well, I cannot really do anything with her since Théo had asked me to give her to him instead of a paycheck. Think of it as a prize for his loyalty, if you may.”

Marinette cried once more.

_That bastard._

“I swear to God, Sinclair if you even think of actually doing that I will kill you before you even realize that your own blood is already pooling around you and I will do it nice and slow,” Adrien threatened, tightly gripping his gun.

Sinclair nodded. “I know you will.” He walked back to his spot next to his father. He rested his hand on his father’s shoulder, making Adrien’s body shake with fury. “I did tell you that this was going to be serene, have I not, Adrien and Nino? I told you that you need not to be too involved. If only you have listened, this would have been over in a jiffy.”

Nino huffed. “In your dreams you damned asshole. I hope you rot in hell with Satan,” he seethed.

Sinclair chuckled. “I will have you come with me then?”

“Only if you go in first.” Nino shot back.

Sinclair’s eye twitched as Nino’s words started to sink through him.

“You know full well that one way or another we would have disobeyed you,” Adrien spoke his voice clear and firm. “That is why you asked us if we have received any notes, have you? You thought that we would keep on relying on you but we did not.” Adrien pierced him with his glare. “And I am glad that we chose not to.”

Sinclair’s mouth set in a hard line. “I have watched the two of you grow into the spies that you are now. I have helped you through those years that you have been away from your families who did not even bother to visit you,” he sent a haunted look towards Adrien’s father. “I supported you and treated you as my own. I never thought that you could possibly betray me.”

Adrien laughed once out of humor. “We never asked for you help, Sinclair. We never needed it. We could survive on our own. And we never told you to treat us as your family. And do you not think that betrayal is _such_ a big word for you to accuse us of?” he raised his brow at him, provoking him.

A muscle in Sinclair’s jaw twitched. He removed his hand from Gabriel’s shoulder and his gaze darkened as he stared at Adrien. “You asked me why I am doing this, yes? I think now is the right time to tell all.”

Adrien kept his stance rigid and his face bleak. Whatever this man is going to throw at him, he would be ready.

“Once upon a time,” Sinclair began as he paced the length of the space between Gabriel and Marinette. “There were three friends named, Sinclair,” a pause, “Jermaine,” another, “and Gabriel.”

Adrien swallowed a gasp and kept his expression stoic.

He had never heard of this before.

“And so the three of them grew up together, attending on the same school throughout their early years and college,” he continued. “Then, it was in their career years when the three of them found love.” Sinclair stopped beside Marinette. “Jermaine fell head over heels for a feisty upcoming doctor and vice versa. Gabriel developed feelings he did not even know existed for a woman who had just started working as an assistant for his growing company. Sinclair on the other hand, struggled to find love. Until one day, a beautiful lady who seemed to have been sent from the heavens appeared and she helped him go through the dreading days that felt like it was never going to disappear until she came into his life.”

Sinclair paused, walking back to Gabriel. Adrien’s eyes followed him, never leaving his face. “But it was when Sinclair was about to confess to her when she asked him how to make the man she loved ever so dearly notice her.”

Wheels on Adrien’s head began to turn furiously as the words pour out of Sinclair’s mouth.

“Little did he know that the only woman he loved was talking about his dear friend, Gabriel Agreste.”

Adrien’s stance wavered.

_What?_

Sinclair…he had done all of this because of his mother?

He took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears at bay on his eyes. “But I did confront Gabriel about it, being the good friend I am,” he began again. “But your father here refused of letting your mother go. I asked him- begged him even –to let her be with me but I was only left with disappointment and with that, not only did I lose the love of my life, I also lost a friend of mine.”

He swallowed, pacing again as though he was a madman on the loose. “And so I tried and tried and tried and as I did, I was always left with rejection.” He looked back at Adrien, his eyes red. “Not only from your heartless father but from your mother as well. And so I thought that Gabriel must have brainwashed her. She must have loved me too but Gabriel prevented her from telling me. He prevented us from loving each other.”

Unable to take it all in anymore, Adrien grimaced, turning his face away from Sinclair. “Stop,” he snarled.

“And so I worked hard and decided to become a spy. I created my own team and managed to land an organization that was entrusted to me. And so flashback to seven years ago, I formulated my very first plan.”

Adrien’s head shot towards him again, his eyes wide.

Sinclair’s eyes bored into him. “Yes, Adrien. I was the one and the only who had threatened your small family seven years ago.”

A wave of nostalgia immediately hit him.

Seven years ago when he was twelve. Their entire house was on lockdown for a year and he was not able to step out of his house for even a second. He never saw the sun, the moon, the stars, or even a hint of the clouds for a _year_. He did not talk to anyone except for his father and his assistant for a year and he was deprived from enjoying his youth all because of Sinclair.

And now, he was doing it all over again.

“It would have lasted for years and years if only that blasted Jermaine had not helped your useless father.”

Adrien scowled.

Sinclair began laughing like a psychopath. “I simply wanted Jermaine and his family to pay for all the trouble that he has caused me. You would have not become a spy if it were not for that stupid man. My plan would have been successful. You would have both suffered for decades and you would have not met your dear Marinette.” He then gazed at Marinette with an unnerving look on his face. “You would have been apart as I have been with your mother.”

Sinclair pulled out a gun from his pocket and aimed it at Marinette. “What if I kill her? Then you would feel the same emotions that I felt for my entire existence.” He glanced at Adrien, his face teasing and somehow, it looked like an expression that a mentally unstable person would make. “Should I kill her, Adrien? Should I?”

Marinette cried, keeping her head down as her body trembled harder.

As he let Sinclair’s words sink in his mind, Adrien instantly knew how Sinclair’s mind ticked. He knew what the man wanted and because of his stories, he had successfully woven his way through the very depths of his thoughts.

Adrien knew exactly what he wanted.

And he was going to take it away from him.

Adrien raised his own gun and pointed it to his temple. “If you do that, Sinclair, I will pull this trigger.”

Marinette screamed, shaking her head. Tears began to flow down her face once more and her muffled cries echoed through the room. She thrashed on her seat, anguish etched on her tearstained face. His father’s breathing paced faster and he had begun writhing on his seat, desperately trying to escape.

Sinclair’s eyes widened at him, his lip quivering. His tears finally roll down his cheeks as his let his gun fall.

_It worked._

How could he be so foolish as to not notice one of the very things that Sinclair wanted after all of these years?

“No…” Sinclair whispered. “No!” he pleaded.

Adrien gulped, gripping the gun. “You want to become my father, correct? You want to keep me safe because you can see my mother in me. You want me to forget about Gabriel Agreste and tell myself that you are my father and you are married to my mother.” He braced himself for another wave of words that disgusted him to the core. “You want me to allow you to think that I am the product of your and my mother’s love.” Adrien wanted to puke. He refrained himself from looking at his father as he said this. He knew that he was breaking his heart but this was the only way. “You want me to treat you as my father, is that what you have always wanted, Sinclair? Is that what you still want?”

“What the fuck?” Nino muttered.

Sinclair swallowed, the tears continued gushing down his face. He wiped his tears with the backs of his hand and he began laughing, weakly.

“Yes,” he sniffled. “That is what I want, Adrien,” he smiled at him and it made Adrien want to cringe. “That is what I want, son.”

_Disgusting._

Adrien inwardly cringe at his last word. This man was messed up to the very depths of his mind. Sinclair putting up an act for years and years resulted to this. He finally broke and his emotions were all over the place. Adrien always knew that there was something wrong with him but he never thought that Sinclair was ill.

Sinclair sniffled, pulling out a leather bound notebook from his coat. “This was your mother’s favorite journal.”

Adrien’s eyes widened.

That journal.

“I found it in her belongings. I remember her telling me that she loved butterflies and that is how I came up with my alias. And she said here that you once told her that you want to become a spy when you were younger.” He beamed it him. “I made your dream came true, Adrien.”

_The hell not._

“That was what he used for the notes.” Nino mumbled.

Adrien battled the urge to recoil. Having Sinclair call him his son was enough for him to pull the trigger. But he couldn’t do that. Not here. Not ever. Not when he had so many things to lose.

“If only you let her be with me. If only you let us to be together!” he shouted at Gabriel. “She would not have died. She died because of you!”

Bitterness filled Adrien’s mouth.

_You may kill me if you keep on talking._

“You seriously work for that guy?” Nino whispered to the men holding him. “That man is all sorts of crazy!”

“No.”

Adrien stopped himself from running to his father. He had managed to get the fabric off of his mouth.

“No,” he said once more, his head down.

“I did not kill her.” His father slowly looked up, locking his eyes with Sinclair. “You killed her.”

Sinclair staggered back, his expression scrunching. “W-What are you talking about?”

Adrien saw his father swallow, seeming to be tired of it all. “Sinclair, you killed her. You killed my wife and my son’s mother. You killed the only woman you have ever loved.”

Adrien’s brows furrowed and his heart pounded. The gun had haphazardly dangled off his fingers beside him and his eyes had absentmindedly found Marinette’s.

“You intended to kill me, yes? You knew that I was sick at that time so you went on your way and regularly gave me tea for my health to get better as you stated. But my wife knew about it,” Gabriel revealed. “She knew what you were planning and seeing that I blindly trusted you and was willing on taking up your offer she…” Gabriel swallowed again, his voice becoming weaker.

_She what?_

_What did mère do?_

“She drank it all herself.”

_What?_

Adrien dropped his gun, sorrow closing up his throat.

“No. No!” Sinclair shouted. “I did not kill her!” he gripped on the sides of his head, his breathing becoming erratic. “I did not kill her. I did not kill her.”

Gabriel briefly closed his eyes. “You did,” he said, his voice hoarse. “If you had not chosen to take the same bottle to make sure that I had indeed drank it, she would have not done it. She could have simply thrown it away but she knew that you would know, Sinclair. Because you had your eyes locked on us for the entirety of our lives.”

Sinclair continued shaking his head. “No…”

“She developed her illness because of what you have attempted to give me. My wife sacrificed her life because of your selfishness. You did not give her a choice. You forced her to leave me and her only son.” A furrow formed on his brows as he kept himself from shedding a tear. “You want Adrien to be your son but how can he have a father who killed his own mother? Sinclair, he might hate you even more so than he despises me.”

Adrien’s eyes flickered toward his father.

_Despise?_

“Is that true?” Adrien didn’t even recognize his own voice. He looked at Sinclair dead in the eyes. “Did you kill my mother?”

Sinclair staggered backwards, shaking his head, his face etched with fear and confusion.

He was losing his mind.

Without thinking, he grabbed his gun from the floor and pulled out another from his coat, loaded the barrel and pointed one gun on Gabriel’s head and another on Marinette’s.

Adrien stepped forward but he was stopped by Sinclair’s trembling voice.

“Take one more step and I will kill them, Adrien,” he threatened. “I will kill both of them.”

“Asshole!” Nino shouted. “You two idiots let go of me right this instant!”

Anger swelled up in Adrien. “Don’t you even think about it, Sinclair.”

“Oh, I am already thinking about it,” he said, smiling through his tears. “But there is a way around this.”

Adrien clenched his fists. “I am listening.”

Sinclair looked at Gabriel and then at Marinette. He nodded at him. “Get your gun.”

Adrien glared at him as he reached for his gun.

“Now choose,” he said. “You may only choose one, Adrien.”

Adrien almost dropped his gun again.

He gulped. “What happens to the one I do not choose.”

Sinclair smirks at him. “That person dies.”

Adrien blanched.

“You cannot have everything you want, Adrien,” he shook his head at him as if he were a dumb child. “You have thirty seconds before I shoot both of them.”

His stomach knotted as he heard Sinclair’s warning.

_Thirty seconds?_

A chill went through him. “You cannot be serious.”

Adrien saw him wrap his finger around the trigger. “Thirty,”

He started to panic. His heart was pounding so loud that he could hear it all the way to his ears. No. He cannot choose between the two of them. He will never choose. Sinclair might as well call it a bargain of lives.

“Twenty-seven,”

“Shit.” Adrien cursed, feeling the worry and instant fear gnaw through him.

_What am I supposed to do?_

“Twenty-five,”

“Count slower you piece of shit!” Nino bellowed.

“Twenty-four,”

_No._

_NO!_

“Stop this.” Adrien croaked.

“Twenty-three,”

“Stop!” he begged.

“Twenty-two,”

“I cannot,” tears began to well up his eyes. “I cannot do this.”

“Twenty-one. The clock is ticking, Adrien.” Sinclair reminded

Adrien’s shoulders slumped, unable to look at any of them.

“Twenty,”

_No…_

“Save her,” his father’s voice echoed. “Save her, Adrien.”

Adrien looked up at him, the tears released from his eyes.

“Sixteen,”

Marinette shook her head furiously, her cries getting louder. He saw her begging with her eyes. And he knew right then and there that she didn’t want him to save her.

“Fourteen,”

“Adrien, shoot me. Save this girl, I beg of you,” his father pleaded. “Let us get this over with, son,” he offered him a weak smile.

“Father…” Adrien blinked at him, his words feeling like a knife through his heart.

“Eleven,”

“You fucking lunatic!” Nino thrashed against the hold on him.

“Ten,”

Adrien looked at Marinette and he was shaking his head at her.

_Marinette…_

_Will we ever be happy again?_

“Eight,”

“I know that she makes you happy, Adrien, please,” his father begged once more. “Let her live. I have burdened you long enough.”

Adrien took in a sharp breath and he sniffled. “No,” he shook his head. “You have not.”

“Six,”

“Adrien!” shouted his father.

He barely had any time left. What should he do? Adrien felt his heart ripping apart at every second that passed by.

He couldn’t…

He couldn’t.

“Four,”

He cannot win this way.

He didn’t have the option of winning.

Adrien closed his eyes, his arms shaking as he brought his gun up.

“Three,”

He swallowed hard, already not forgiving himself.

“Two,”

His finger wrapped around the trigger and-

A sound of a shot fired resonated around them.

Had he done it?

Had he accidentally pulled the trigger?

Had he killed someone?

“Ad-Adrien…” he heard Nino say.

_I am sorry._

“Sinclair,” said Nino.

Peeling his eyes open, Adrien looked ahead.

His gun dropped as he saw Sinclair’s body lying down and the cold floor- almost lifeless –and a pool of blood beneath his head.

Did...Did he do this?

“You do not know how long I have wanted to do that.”

Another familiar voice said.

A figure emerged from the shadows, twirling a gun on his fingers.

Jagged’s violet streaked hair flew as he walked in the space. He stopped before Sinclair, watching him. “You have ruined many lives, mate. It is time for you to rest.”

Jagged.

Did he kill Sinclair?

As though he had heard Adrien’s questions, he eyes found him and he offered him an apologetic smile. “I came just in time, didn’t I?”

Adrien let out a relieved breath, his chest finally feeling a bit of ease. A few more agents came into the room and freed Nino. Jagged started unbinding Gabriel and Adrien finally came back to his senses and he rushed towards Marinette. He removed the fabric on her mouth first and then moved onto her hands.

Marinette bawled, her sobs and hiccups echoing in the vast room. Her skin felt cold and her body was still shaking. Her cries broke his heart as he removed the ties around her as fast as he could. Tears rushed down her face as she was barely able to breath because of her loud sobs.

Finally untying all there is around her that tied her to the table, Adrien wrapped his arms around her, hugging her frail frame.

“I am so sorry,” a tears escaped his eye. “I am so sorry, Marinette.”

Marinette shuddered, clawing on his shirt. She buried her face on his chest as she continued weeping. Adrien ran his hand up and down her back as his free hand held the back of her head. From the corner of his eyes, he could see his father looking at them as Jagged and Nino tended to him.

Marinette slightly pushed herself away from him and began hitting his chest with her balled fists.

“I hate you.” She wept, sending him weak but forceful punches.

Adrien’s heart constricted as he heard those words. Before, he did anything- everything –just for her to hate him. But now, it pained him to hear her finally say it. Could this really be the last time he would be able to hold her?

“I hate you!” Marinette whimpered, her shoulders shaking. “You were going to leave me again,” she hiccupped, her punches halting. Marinette gripped on his shirt, burying her face once more. “Why do you always end up wanting to kill yourself because of me?” she whispered clinging on to him.

Adrien heaved out a breath of relief as Marinette calmed down. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if something happens to her. He would rather die than have someone mistreat her. Adrien would do anything for her.

Adrien pressed a kiss on the top of her head and rested his chin atop it. “I apologize for coming a little too late.”

Marinette wailed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

She must have been so scared.

Adrien felt a hand on his shoulder.

“I hate to break your heartfelt reunion but we have to leave this establishment,” said Jagged as he gave him a smile.

Adrien nodded and turned back to his maiden. “Marinette, princess, we have to go.”

Marinette hiccupped, tightening her arms around his neck.

Adrien figured that she was still in much shock. It wouldn’t be good for her if he forced her to stand up and walk. He repositioned himself beside her, hooked his arm under her knees and wrapped the other around her waist. He picked her up from the dusty floor and Marinette kept her arms around him, hiding her face on the crook of his neck.

“You finally found someone who was able to tame you, have you not?” Jagged commented as he looked at them.

Adrien tighten his hold on Marinette. He found so much more than that.

“Why did you kill him?”

Jagged glanced back at Sinclair’s body that was now being covered in a white cloth. “He has caused a lot of trouble already. And I never really said that I was on his side, have I now?”

Adrien drew his brows together, remembering something that Jagged had told him awhile back. “Is this what you meant by betraying him?”

Jagged nodded. “I was his enemy from the very moment I found out that he had his eyes on your family. And when I found out about his plan, I quit the agency and pretended to hold a grudge on your father so that he would allow me to join his group. The day you shot me on my ear was the day I volunteered to talk to you myself.”

“You were on our side all along?”

Jagged grinned at him. “I told you, I am in no one’s side.” He let out a breath and slipped his gun inside his coat. “But I indeed do everything in my power to keep things the way they should be.”

Adrien blinked at him. “My father-”

Jagged’s expression turned dark. “He had been kidnapped by Sinclair’s buffoons prior to this act. When I found out about it, I made him write a letter to you without Sinclair’s knowledge. I told him not to tell you about his state because I knew that you would act before thinking if ever he did.”

“You helped him?”

Jagged chuckled. “Why would I not? He only got dragged into this because of Sinclair. I did not have any reason not to help.” He walked towards Adrien and gave his shoulder a pat. “I suggest you accompany your maiden back to the mansion. She has seen and heard a lot of things that may haunt her. I would have Nino and the other agents help me clean up this mess. I have asked your father to stay for a while as I have something to talk to him about. Jermaine still does not know that Gabriel is in England.” Jagged turned on his heel and stopped, remembering something. “And you need not to worry about Théo. I have already dealt with him. I assure you that he would undergo proper punishment for his mindless actions.

Adrien and nodded and then gave him a small bow. “Thank you, Jagged.”

He turned and headed to a set of stairs at the far side of the room to exit the building. Adrien still could not believe that the person who had started this all was someone they trusted with their lives. He never thought that the person he almost considered as a part of his family was the one who wrecked it in the first place.

Dried leaves cracked beneath his feet as he stepped out of the establishment. The crisp air howled around them, sending an eerily relieving vibe. Adrien resumed walking, heading to the coach used by the men who took Marinette away.

Marinette nuzzled her face on his neck. “Is it over?” she asked, her voice faint and soft.

Adrien looked ahead of him, a wave of solace thundering through his body.

“It is,” he replied.

“It finally is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so many goosebumps while writing this. Writing about Sinclair was the hardest part but it was one of the scenes that I enjoyed the most, too. :) I hope you all love this chapter just as much as I did. Ending this arc is quite bittersweet since I am fully aware that the end is very near ToT.
> 
> *Heads up; the next chapter's going to be quiteee an emotional ride.


	35. The Awaited Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which dreams and nightmares collide.

_Twelve years ago_

Adrien desperately gripped his mother’s hand, tears spilling down his cheeks. He watched as she heaved in breaths, her chest staggering. Adrien wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and then wrapped them back around his mother’s. His heart felt heavy and he didn’t feel good at all. He felt worse than being sad and he hated it.

He tugged on his mother’s hand to place it on his cheek and the sleeve of her sweater rose up slightly. Adrien clenched his teeth and he swallowed hard as he saw a big violet and blue mark near her wrist. He sucked in a breath and his sobs grew louder.

“Mama!” he whimpered. “Mama, why-” he hiccupped and coughed as he began to find it hard to breathe.

His mother smiled weakly at him and soothed his damp cheek with the pad of her thumb. “You saw Mama’s secret, didn’t you, love?”

Adrien swallowed, forcing himself to be strong. He nodded with his lips drew on a thin line, trying to stop his crying.

His mother licked her chapped lips, a tear escaping her eye. “Will you take care of Mama’s watch?”

Adrien nodded vigorously.

His mother took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Adrien, I want you to promise Mama something.”

Adrien sniffled, screwed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. He gazed back at his mother with a determined look, swallowing back his sobs.

_Adrien has to be strong._

_Adrien has to be strong for Mama._

“First,” she breathed out, her breathing slowing down. “I want you to promise me that you will never lose Mama’s watch and you will take it wherever you go so that I can always be with you.”

Adrien gulped. “I promise.”

“Second, I want you to promise me that you and your father will go through life together even if Mama’s not there anymore. I want you to love him just as much as you love me, Adrien.”

Adrien’s face scrunched as he failed to hold his tears anymore. “I promise,” he hiccupped.

“And third,” his mother lifted up her free hand and cupped his cheek. “When Mama closes her eyes and goes into a long, long sleep, I want you to smile. I want you to remember the happy moments that we spent together. I want you to remember smiling with Mama,” she paused as her voice broke. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I want you to remember how much Mama loves you.”

Adrien wailed, unable to take in anymore. He went up the bed and wrapped his arms around his mother, resting his head on her chest.

“No,” he shook his head stubbornly. “I-I won’t promise so Mama w-won’t leave me.” Adrien wept. “I won’t promise!”

Adrien felt his mother’s arm limply wrap around him.

She began patting his head as he felt her chest rise for another staggered breath. “You have so many more things to experience in this world, Adrien. Do not let Mama stop you from having it. When you grow older, you will find a woman that you will love just as how you loved Mama. She will make you laugh and cry. And she will show you a whole new world that you did not even know existed.”

Adrien shook his head. “No!” he sobbed. “I do not want anyone else! I only want Mama!”

His mother chuckled, weakly. “Your loyalty is one of the many, many things that I will always love about you, Adrien.” She stopped, her breaths getting uneven and her hug loosening. “But Mama is getting tired.” Adrien could hear the pain in her voice.

Adrien clung to her, crying out a _No_ over and over.

His mother ran her fingers through his hair. “Mama has to sleep now, Adrien,” she croaked.

Adrien wept, refusing to let her go. He didn’t want her to leave. Why did his mother have to be sick? There were a lot of bad people in the world but why did it have to be his mother? She had been nothing but good and she was an angel sent to them. Why did they have to take her away so early?

“Adrien,” his mother cooed. “Please promise Mama,” she said once more. “Please make Mama happy for the very last time.”

Adrien bit his lip, his body shuddering at the immense pain.

_I want to make Mama happy._

_I want to make her happy._

“I-” he hiccupped. “I p-pro-” Adrien shut his eyes at the pain. “I promise.”

His mother let out a breath. “Thank you.”

Adrien hugged her tighter, hoping that his energy will transfer to her body so that she would be okay again. If only he was a superhero with healing powers he would have healed his mother from the moment that he knew she was sick. If he had powers he would fight against the people who wanted to take his mother away from him.

“Forgive me, love. Mama has to sleep now,” she said, her voice sounded more like a hoarse whisper. She kissed the top of Adrien’s head, her pulse beginning to fade away.

“I love you, Adrien,” she said. “I always will.”

Adrien whimpered as the arm around him collapsed on the bed. He buried his head on his mother’s chest, his cries getting louder and louder.

“No! Mama!” he wept, wishing that he’d hear her voice again. “Mama!” he pleaded, clutching his mother’s pocket watch in his hand. He didn’t even get to say that he loved her back.

He couldn’t keep his smile.

He couldn’t keep his promise.

He couldn’t.

“I am sorry,” he wailed. “I am sorry, Mama.”

Adrien lay in his mother’s arm, ignoring his father’s voice, beckoning him out of the room. He was going to stay there until he falls asleep. He wasn’t going to leave even if his father forces him to. He was going to stay with his Mama and he will protect her with his life.

He will be stronger and he will not let anyone hurt him.

And he will not love another woman.

He will never.

~

 

_Seven years ago_

He tightly wrapped the coat around his body, bracing himself for the cold that is going to keep coming. He held his Gladstone bag in one hand that contained some of his clothes and a bit of money. He didn’t know where to go. He has never stepped out of his house on his own and he rarely does. He was tired and he was starving.

But Adrien did not regret leaving their house.

It had been five days since he left. The money that was left in his bag wasn’t enough to survive for another day. He might have to rely on water instead.

He would rather roam the streets than be with his father who acted like he did not even exist. Being inside that house was worse than being homeless. Ever since his mother passed away, his father completely changed. He barely acknowledged him and Adrien couldn’t even remember when was the last time he treated him as his son. Adrien hated him for being selfish. He wasn’t the only one who was suffering. He could have chosen to share the pain with his son so that they could both conquer but he chose to keep it all in his own.

He didn’t let Adrien help mend his broken pieces.

And so Adrien decided that he would stop trying. He would stop understanding him and he would stop convincing himself that everything will get better. That things will change and that it will go back to the way it was before.

How foolish of him to believe that stupid idea.

Adrien sat on the bench and placed his Gladstone bag beside him. He rubbed his gloved hands together and blew on them for some extra warmth. He kicked on the snow on his feet eventually creating a hole. Adrien had to refrain himself from remembering the time when he and his mother created snow angels. He didn’t want to show anyone how weak he was.

But he missed her.

More than anything in this world.

His father might not even be looking for him. He might not even notice that his only son was gone. He might not care one bit.

Adrien tried making him proud. He let painters use him as a subject and he even agreed to model some of his father’s masterpieces. But then he realized that it was of no use. To his father, he was a walking disappointment. And he convinced himself that it was true. He even thought that his father would have been happier if Adrien had not come to this world.

He cringed as his stomach growled loudly. His insides were starting to stir and his head was starting to ache. He should at least eat something.

Adrien stood from the bench and gathered his bag. He passed on a lot of restaurants but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to pay even for the cheapest meal. There were only a few drinking fountains in Paris and Adrien concluded that he would spend the day looking for them. He remembered him and his mother going to one but he wasn’t exactly sure where it was.

He relied on his luck- if he has one –and ventured the path, hoping to find a single drinking fountain. He could simply ask someone but he felt rather sheepish. Adrien decided that if his motivation had completely depleted then he would ask. He had learned a hard lesson about relying on other people.

Minutes stretched to hours and Adrien’s legs were starting to hurt. Afternoon had finally come but he still hasn’t eaten anything for the day. His stomach hurt and he was too tired to walk another mile. The supply of food that he had taken with him when he left only lasted until the third day. His money only lasted for four days and now he was left with nothing.

He might as well become a beggar.

Adrien’s stomach grumbled as a warm aroma wafted to his nose. His mouth began to water and he clutched his stomach, willing it to keep calm. He found himself in front of a _patisserie_ with freshly baked goods displayed on its racks. Adrien gazed at the window, forcing his mouth to keep shut to prevent his drool from flowing out of it. He had never seen this _patisserie_ before. But it certainly looked like all of the bread they sell tastes just as good as they smelled.

Adrien swallowed, telling himself that he wouldn’t even be able to purchase anything in there. He had no money left.

He should leave.

“Are you going to buy?”

Adrien looked at the source of the voice and was surprised to see a girl smiling at him. She had dark blue hair tied in two pigtails and she had big blue eyes. She was a bit shorter than him and compared to what he looked like, the girl was covered with thick fabrics to shield her from the cold from head to toe.

Adrien turned his head away from her. “No. I am just looking.”

The girl hummed. “You are not hungry?”

And just when he was about to reply, his stomach growled once more.

Adrien wanted to die of embarrassment.

Before he could make up an excuse, the girl said, “Please wait here.”

He watched her rush into the bakery and disappeared behind a big rack. She acted like the _patisserie_ belonged to her. Adrien thought. He didn’t even know what she was planning so why in the world was he still standing there? But then the girl didn’t really sound as though she was planning to do something mischievous. In fact, she sounded sincere.

The girl stepped out of the establishment with a brown paper bag in her arms.

“Here,” she said, handing it to him.

Adrien blinked at the paper bag and looked back at her. “What am I going to do with that?”

The girl smiled widely. “It is for you. I know that you are hungry so I picked the best pastries we have.”

Adrien’s brows rose. “You own this bakery?”

The girl nodded. “It belongs to my _Mamman_ & Papa,” she took his hands and placed the paper bag on them. “There you go. You do not have to pay for it.”

Now that he had a better look at her, he had to admit that she was rather adorable.

Adrien looked away as he felt warmth rising to his cheeks. “ _Merci beaucoup_.”

The girl beamed at him. “ _De rien._ Where do you live?” she asked out of the blue.

Adrien pursed his lips, ridding his brain of negative thoughts. “I do not know.”

“Eh?” the girl recoiled. “Where will you sleep tonight then?” she asked, concerned.

Adrien shrugged.

The girl sighed and glanced at the very top of the _patisserie_ and then back at him. “I can offer you to sleep in my room but my parents may not allow it.”

Adrien was surprised of the kindness that this girl was giving him. They did not even know each other and yet she genuinely wanted to help him.

“What about your friends? Perhaps you could sleep in their house,” she suggested.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “I…” he trailed off, a bit embarrassed to say it. “I do not have any friends.”

“What?” the girl widened her eyes at him.

Adrien didn’t even want to think about how ridiculous he probably looked.

The girl pressed her lips together, her brows furrowed as though she was formulating a plan. “I know!” she exclaimed. “Let us meet each other here again tomorrow at the same time,” she said. “I can be your friend,” she beamed.

Adrien blushed at what she said. “F-Fine. Only because you insist.”

The girl giggled, her blue eyes squinting. “Oh,” she said and then took off her pink scarf. She stepped towards Adrien, stood on her tiptoes and wrapped the warm scarf around his neck.

“There. Much better,” she complimented.

Adrien blinked at her, his face on fire. “What is this for?”

“It is going to get colder by the night. You may return that to me when we see each other again tomorrow.”

Adrien stared at her and then looked at the scarf wrapped on his neck. He lifted his gaze and then, finally, offered her a smile. “All right. I look forward to it.”

“Me too,” the girl grinned.

“Ah, by the way, my name is Ad-”

The girl gasped, cutting him off, she slapped her hand to her forehead. “I forgot to pull out the croissants!” She rushed to their bakery and before entering she said to him, “I will see you tomorrow!” and she scrambled in.

“-rien,” he continued and let out a sigh.

Oh well, they will see each other tomorrow. He would properly introduce himself to her then. Adrien smiled to himself as he looked at building. He should have come here a long time ago.

He devoured on the baked goods given to him by the blue haired girl as soon as he sat on a bench. He saw that she had included a bottle of water, too. Adrien would thank her again tomorrow for her kindness.

Adrien stared up the sky above him as he was instantly reminded by his mother. He shook his head, taking one last bite of the bread. He screwed the cap of the water bottle shut and placed it inside his bag. He rolled the top of the paper bag, secured it and placed it inside as well. There were still three breads left. That would do for dinner.

As Adrien stood up to begin to find a place to sleep, he heard a voice call him.

“Adrien!”

He froze in place, recognizing the voice.

A hand patted his shoulder. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”

His shoulders slumped, turning around to face her.

“You should have not wasted your time, Nathalie,” he said, his voice filled with brood.

His father’s assistant heaved out a breath. “I am not wasting my time. Your father has been frantically looking for you as well.”

Adrien huffed. “That is hard to believe.”

Nathalie frowned at him. “Let us come back to the mansion, Adrien. Your father is waiting for you.”

Adrien turned away. “No.”

Nathalie shut her eyes for a moment before looking back at him again. “I did not want to say this to you in this situation but,” she paused and took a deep harsh breath. “We must get back to the mansion, Adrien. You and your father are in danger.”

 

~

 

Adrien jolted awake, his eyes open in an instant. He didn’t notice that he had fallen asleep in one of the parlors in the mansion as he was waiting for his visit to Marinette’s room. He pushed himself up on his chair and rubbed the heel of his hand to his eye. It had been a long time since the last time he dreamt about the things that had happened to him in the past. Adrien also felt a hint of tear that he might have shed from his dream about his mother. He could still feel the slight ache in his chest.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

Adrien glanced at his father who sat down next to him.

He let out a breath though his nose, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. “It appears so.”

His father stared ahead. “Jagged told me that you will not be able to return to France with me.”

“Indeed,” he replied. “I have to stay here for one more year. That was what was stated in our contract.”

Gabriel nodded. “I understand.”

Silence surrounded them.

Adrien couldn’t say if it was comfortable or not but it felt right. He hadn’t really talked to his father much now and even in the past years. In fact, they rarely talk. It might have been years since they had a proper conversation that lasted more than five minutes.

And he had to admit that he missed it.

“When will you be going back?” asked Adrien.

“Next week. Work has been piling up.”

Adrien thought that it had made sense. His father had always been a workaholic and to him, his work was just as important as breathing.

“Marinette,” his father began. “She is a lovely girl.”

Adrien twirled the knot ring on his little finger. “She is.”

He wondered if she was already awake. When he went to her room earlier, Alya sat on the space beside her as Marinette dozed off. He told Alya to call him when Marinette wakes up. He presumed that she might still be in a deep sleep.

“When are you planning on marrying her?”

Adrien choked on his spit.

He coughed at the question, completely caught off guard.

His father glanced at his with a smile. “I did not expect that it would surprise you that much.”

Adrien cleared his throat as his coughs disappeared.

How can he marry her if he hadn’t even personally told her that he loved her? Though immediate marriage was indeed quite popular these days. Adrien pinched himself, halting his thoughts.

“I, for one, proposed to your mother just after a week of telling her how I felt,” his father admitted.

Adrien immediately turned on his seat. “Are you serious?”

Gabriel bobbed his head with an amused look on his face. “I did not even get to ask her the question. As soon as she saw the ring she instantly shouted yes to my face.”

A chuckle slipped past Adrien’s mouth.

That did sound like something his mother would do.

“I miss her,” said Gabriel, his voice soft. “There was never a second that I did not.”

Adrien swallowed the lump on his throat. “I do, too.”

This was the first time his father had mentioned what he felt regarding his late wife. Adrien wanted to converse with him more about his mother but he figured now’s not the right time.

“Going back to my question,” said his father. “When are you marrying that maiden?”

Adrien groaned. “Honestly, just drop it.”

Gabriel chuckled. “You must not do anything that will make that woman slip away from you. You will never find another one like her again. Learn from my mistake.”

Adrien sighed. “I am not planning on letting her go.”

“Ah, but there must be a clear indication that she belongs to you, should there?”

Adrien gnashed his teeth, feeling a weight on his shoulders. Never would he have thought having a conversation such as this with his father.

“And I am fairly certain that she would have the same reaction as your mother.”

Adrien laughed once in amusement. “She might even jump on me.”

Just thinking about how it may go already sent a fulfilling vibe to Adrien’s heart.

“Why did you propose to Mama that early?”

The corners of his father’s mouth quirked up. “It felt right,” he replied, not missing a beat. “It did not matter to me that we have not been together for years or that it seemed too sudden. I loved her and wanted to be with her for the rest of my life and that was the only thing that mattered to me.” His father looked at him and shrugged. “I took the risk.”

Adrien reflected on his father’s words. Marriage did sound like a big leap of faith. But considering his profession, it might not be an option for him. Not sooner or later. Perhaps even never.

“I am sorry, Adrien,” his father suddenly said.

Adrien cocked a brow at him. “What for?”

Gabriel turned to him, sadness crossing his features. “For burdening you and for being the worst father there is.”

Adrien faintly gasped.

_Did he just?_

He stared at his father as let the words sink in his mind. He wanted him to apologize when he was younger, yes. But now that he got older, he didn’t really care about it anymore. He told himself that he wouldn’t expect it and that he wouldn’t long for it. And knowing his father, he knew that hearing him apologize to anyone was a big impossibility. And so hearing him now sent a wave of shock through him.

After all these years…

It turns out that Adrien was still waiting for it.

“You are not the worst,” he said, his eyes fixated on him. “If you are then you would not have even bothered apologizing.”

Tears shone in his fathers eyes but he masked it with a smile. He turned to gaze ahead and breathed out. “We have a lot to fix between us, do we not?”

Adrien leaned his back against the couch. “We do.”

The mending might take months, years even. But Adrien would be more than willing to wait until he and his father had completely patched everything up. And when that happens, he would finally fulfill his promise to his mother- that they will both go through life together and that he would love his father just as much as he loved her. It would take time for him to sort out his emotions but now that he was certain his father cared even more than he imagined, Adrien finally- and completely –opened his heart to a whole lot of possibilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably the most heartbreaking chapter I have ever written in this fic. Never have I cried so much whilst writing a scene ToT. And so to make up for the rather emotional flashback, I decided to add Adrien and Marinette's FIRST meeting. <3
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for continuing to read this story!  
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. <3 :*


	36. The First Embrace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mr. Adrien and Miss Marinette have a heartfelt confrontation after days of unending longing for one another.

Marinette blew bubbles on the water as she stared down the soapy surface. She didn’t know how long she had been immersed in the bathtub but she couldn’t make herself step out of it. Staying inside the bathtub had become one of the ways that calmed her and made her forget about everything else.

It felt like it had happened eons ago when it was only roughly two weeks since the Head Agent of Adrien and Nino’s organization turned out to be the person that they have been trying to find all along. And to think that Sinclair even captured Adrien’s father. Marinette halted her thoughts as she felt a pang on her chest. She lowered her head in the water once more, stopping just below her nose. Marinette blew out her cheeks as she remembered Adrien lifting the gun to his head and-

She completely submerged herself in water as she screamed. Bubbles erupted above the surface as Marinette released her anguish.

 _That stupid, stupid man._ She glowered.

When will he ever get that attempting to take his life away wasn’t always the solution?

Marinette poked her head out of the water and wiped her eyes.

She missed him.

Over the two weeks that has passed they only saw each other for three days. Adrien and Nino had a lot to fix in their organization and they had been having continuous meetings with Rosella and Jermaine and other agents as well. She has heard from Stefano that an agent named Jagged was now the Head Agent of the branch of the organization that Sinclair held position on. Théo had been made to travel to Russia with other spies, keeping their eyes locked on him to ensure that he wouldn’t be escaping anytime soon. Stefano also said that Théo along with other spies who had betrayed the organization would be receiving intense punishment for the next years.

Constant meetings were present through the weeks and that made not only her but as well as the others to rarely see the people involved- the spies especially. Adrien’s father had been joining them, too.

And that was another problem. Marinette hadn’t been able to talk with his father yet. When they were both in Oxford, they were barely able to talk because of the fabric that gagged them. And when they returned to the mansion, Marinette was confined to her room while Gabriel Agreste spent most of his time with the agent that had violet streaks in his hair. Marinette wondered if she would be able to properly introduce herself to him.

Alya and the girls had been checking on her every now and then, too. Juleka especially. She said that she felt guilty for what had happened. She said that if only it were her who had gone to Oxford instead then Marinette shouldn’t have gone through that petrifying experience. But Marinette assured that if it were Juleka that had taken her place, things would have surely ended differently than it did. She stated that instead of taking the blame they should all just be thankful that everyone was now safe.

Alya gave her a good scolding as soon as Marinette got back to her senses. Her friend said that if it weren’t for Adrien who tried to stop her from hopping onto a horse with all his might, she would have followed them to Oxford to get Marinette herself. Mr. Jermaine and Mrs. Rosella expressed their sincere apologies and gratitude as well. They said that they never imagine that the person who had offered to help them was the one who started all of the trouble that was hurtled at them, too.

Marinette tried not to be too depressed about what has happened and Alya and the girls had really helped with that. Although it could have been more effective if she saw Adrien regularly. She pulled her knees to her chest and puffed her cheeks.

_I really miss him._

When she noticed that the pads of her fingers had become pruney, Marinette stepped out of the bathtub, causing the water to cascade down on the floor. She grabbed the thick fabric from the metal bar attached on the wall to wrap it around her body but then she realized that she had forgotten her bathrobe on her bed.

Marinette exhaled and settled for the towel. She squeezed the water from her hair with it first before wrapping it around her body. She looked at the mirror and scrunched her face at how short the towel was. It only ended just on her thighs. No wonder why most women prefer bathrobes.

Marinette went out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She should really get dressed soon or else she’ll catch a cold.

She turned and took a step forward but then she froze in place as she saw someone sitting on her bed.

Not just _someone_ but the man that she had been longing for.

“Ad-Adrien, what are you doing here?” she asked, the pitch of her voice rose higher as she crossed her arms to cover her chest and rested her hands on her shoulders.

Adrien’s brow rose. “I came to see you,” he said as a matter of factly.

Marinette’s face reddened. “Well yo-you could have knocked!”

“I did and apparently you did not hear,” he deadpanned.

Marinette swallowed hiding her face with her drenched hair. _What was he doing?_ Marinette squirmed under his stare as the seconds passed by with him just sitting there.

“Wha-What are you doing?! Look away!” Marinette demanded.

Adrien cocked his head at her. “Why would I?”

Marinette huffed, the cold she felt earlier suddenly gone and was no replaced with warmth because of her utter shame.

Adrien continued his scrutinizing gaze. “You are not exactly naked, yes? So what is wrong with me looking?”

“Be-Because!” Marinette began to reason, feeling exasperated.

“Because?”

Marinette grumbled, giving up.

They had only just seen each other and she wasn’t really looking forward on arguing with him today.

“Just let me get dre-”

Before she could finish, strong arms suddenly engulfed her and her body pressed with another’s. Adrien’s scent wafted up to her nose and the familiar warmth that she had been wanting to feel for days has finally come back. She could feel Adrien’s heartbeat on her chest and she instantly felt emotional again.

“I missed you,” said Adrien as he nuzzled his face on the crook of her neck.

Marinette brought up her arms and wrapped them around him, squeezing him. “I missed you too, Chaton.”

The days they have spent away from each other have been really long and dismal. If only they could stay together and never be apart.

Adrien pulled away and stared into her eyes. He looked at her as if he was searching for something. Adrien cupped her chin, tilting it upwards.

It didn’t take long when their lips met.

Their kiss was desperate, sad, and full of content at the same time. Marinette knew that words wouldn’t be able to suffice what she felt right at that moment but being with the one she loved was enough for her to combust into flames of passion and rapture. A small moan escaped her throat as the kiss deepened and happy tears began to form on her eyes. Marinette grasped the fabric of his coat, stabilizing herself as her knees felt weak.

She doubted that there would be another man that would make her feel this type of euphoria. Adrien was the only one for her and she would devote herself to him and only him. Marinette wondered if Adrien felt the same but then again, he was a man of few words and he liked to convey his feelings through his actions more.

That was only one of the million things that she adored about him.

They finally break their kiss for a needy inhale and Marinette looked up at him, her eyes filled with desire. Adrien leaned down once more and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

“You must be freezing.”

Marinette shook her head, resting her head on his chest.

Adrien kissed her shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Marinette shivered at the touch. Compared to what she was feeling before, “Better,” Marinette sighed.

“I am glad,” he said and kissed her temple. “This is enough for now,” he said, playfully pushing her away. “You have already drenched my clothes.”

Marinette rolled her eyes at him. “You were the one who attacked me with a hug.”

“You let me.”

“You kept staring at me.”

“Again, you let me.”

“I hate you.”

“I am not falling for that.”

Marinette giggled at the small banter. She made a move to step away from him but then she felt the towel sliding off her body. Marinette panicked, gripped Adrien’s coat and abruptly pulled him back to her.

Adrien raised a brow and whistled. “I did not know that you can be this aggressive.”

Marinette grumbled.

_I was not being aggressive._

“All right, you need to get dressed. Let go of me now.” Adrien pushed on her shoulders but Marinette tightened her grip. The towel was now loosely wrapped around her for heaven’s sake!

“Marinette,” Adrien said. “Let me go.”

Marinette refused.

She could back away from him and quickly prevent the towel from falling but judging how close they were and how impossible it was for Adrien to look anywhere else but at her, Marinette was fighting a losing battle.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” his voice was firm.

Marinette cringed.

“I…uh,” she cleared her throat. “I might kind of maybe possibly need your coat.”

His brows knitted. “What?”

Marinette kept her mouth shut.

Now she didn’t feel any hint of coldness at all because the warmth has now reached to the very tops of her ears.

“ _Oh_ …” Adrien said, finally noticing. He sighed as if it were a simple thing. “Idiot,” he said and abruptly turned away, making Marinette shriek as she fumbled for her towel that had dropped to her knees and she immediately wrapped them around her again.

Adrien had his back facing her and his hands buried deep in his pockets. “Go get dressed.”

Marinette nodded even though he couldn’t see her. She rushed to her closet and pullet out simple dress that didn’t require any help from another person. She glanced back at Adrien to make sure that he still wasn’t looking.

“Do-Do not look, okay?” she called out to him.

Adrien’s shoulders dropped as he let out another frustrated sigh. “I will not.”

“If you look I swear to the heavens above, Adrien-”

“If you keep on talking I will rip that damn towel off of your body myself.”

Marinette swallowed hard, shivering from his voice.

She better keep her mouth shut then.

Marinette dressed herself up as fast as she could. She tied the bow on her waist and then went to Adrien. She coiled her arms around him, hugging him from behind.

“I am finished.”

Adrien turned around, facing her. His eyes narrowed at her hair. He took her hand and guided her to the bed.

“Where is your hairbrush?” he asked.

Marinette stared at him in confusion but pointed at where the hairbrush was all the same. Adrien sat behind her and began running the brush through her hair. She didn’t know why but it felt very relaxing than doing it herself. She found herself fluttering her eyes close more than once. Marinette was very tempted to sleep.

“Do you think we have met before?”

Marinette’s eyes shot open at Adrien’s sudden question. “Did we?”

It seemed impossible but they both did grow up in Paris. Perhaps they fleetingly met each other amongst a crowd or have simply passed each other somewhere. Marinette couldn’t exactly remember seeing him before.

“I think we did,” said Adrien. “I dreamt about what have happened to me a few years back and I remember seeing a girl who looked quite like you. It was the time I ran away from home. She noticed that I was starving despite my lie and she offered me some bread from their _patisserie_. We arranged to meet the next day but I never got to see her again.”

A small frown formed on her face as Marinette felt a tinge of jealousy towards whoever that girl was. She managed to meet a young Adrien in Paris and he even- willingly –agreed for them to meet again. If only she had met him instead of that girl then surely she-

Hold on.

Marinette racked her brain as a sudden image of a boy with wild blonde hair appeared on her mind. She couldn’t remember his exact features yet but she felt that there was definitely something about Adrien’s confession that may have or may have not happened to her back when she was younger- she was about ten years old, she presumed.

Marinette titled her head up in wonder. “I do remember a certain boy…” she trailed off, the image in her head turning into a vivid scenario. Marinette gasped, hastily turning around, causing the hairbrush from Adrien’s hand to almost drop to the bed.

“Was that you?” she shrieked. “Were you the one who left me waiting outside our _patisserie_ for hours?” she gawked.

His eyes widened. “You waited for _hours_?”

“Of course I did!” she fully faced him. “I was worried about you because you said you did not know where your home was and that you did not have any friends.”

Adrien blinked at her. “I said that?”

“You did,” she began twiddling her thumbs as she felt a slight embarrassment for what she was going to say next. “I went out of our bakery everyday and hoped that you would be there but you never came,” she confessed. “And then I stopped doing it after a week.”

Now that she remembered, she could clearly see that it was indeed Adrien. He was the boy she had met years ago. Even though she only saw him once, Marinette remembered having a little crush on him.

“I did want to see you,” said Adrien. “But getting out of our house was not exactly easy. That was the day of our first lockdown, I believe.”

Marinette gave him a small nod. “I understand.”

If only they have met way before that. Marinette wondered how their futures could have possibly shaped. Perhaps they turned out to be the best of friends. But she wasn’t sure if they could have gotten into a relationship if their pasts went to that route. But Marinette knew that no matter what happens, she would still choose the path that lead them to what they had now.

She felt his fingers under her chin and he lifted her face to meet his gaze.

“But we did meet again, did we?” Adrien smiled at her.

Marinette mirrored his expression. “We did.”

“And this time around, I was the one that saved you,” he said, brushing her fringe away from her eyes.

Marinette didn’t know that she saved him by that simple gesture of kindness. But nonetheless, she was glad she had helped him.

Marinette leaned in and gave him a quick peck.

Adrien’s brows shot up, amusement was evident on his face. “You are getting quite bolder now, are you?”

Marinette grinned at him. “I have to keep up with you.”

And they didn’t see each other for so long.

If she weren’t too shy she would have done more than that.

“Ah, which reminds me. _Père_ is going back to Paris today. He wanted to formally meet you before he leaves.”

Marinette immediately stood up, rushed to the mirror and made sure that she looked presentable. “Why did you not tell me earlier?” she demanded.

Adrien chuckled at her initial reaction. “You do not have to impress him that much.”

Marinette groaned sticking a few pins on her hair.

She had every right to be nervous and all. She was going finally going to meet _the_ Gabriel Agreste. Marinette hoped that she wouldn’t trip or do something that’ll make Adrien’s father disapprove of her.

They reached the end of the stairs and there stood his father in the middle of the grand foyer as he talked with Jermaine. Marinette balled her fists, attempting to calm her nerves as they drew closer and closer. Adrien was nothing but unperturbed about it and he strode beside her as though he had no care in the world.

“Père,” Adrien called.

Mr. Jermaine excused himself and joined his wife at the parlour. Gabriel Agreste turned to them with a blank expression on his face.

Marinette has seen that look a dozen times on Adrien. Now she was a hundred percent certain that they were indeed related.

“This is Marinette,” Adrien introduced. “Marinette, meet my father.”

_Wow._

_You do not sound like you are happy with me meeting your father at all, Adrien._

“It is nice to meet you, Marinette,” said his father. “Though we have already seen each other prior to this in a more dire situation I would like to forget about that circumstance and I hope that you do as well. Do consider this as our first meeting.”

Marinette gulped at the formality.

How was she supposed to respond?

“I-”

“You are going to make her hate you for talking to her like that.” Adrien said, his tone bleak.

Marinette inwardly cringed.

Gabriel Agreste’s face remained straight. “I talk like this everyday. What is wrong with it?”

“Everything.” Adrien retorted.

Marinette shifted her eyes at him and then to his father and then back at him. They were not going have an argument right now, are they?

“It is all right, Monsieur Agreste.” Marinette reassured, managing to get a full sentence out of her mouth without stuttering. “Ad-Your son does talk to me like that sometimes. I am already used to it.”

Adrien shot a glare at her.

“Does he now?” asked his father.

Marinette bobbed her head. “He often glares at me, too, and-”

“Marinette,” warned Adrien.

“My apologies,” said Marinette.

She knew that Adrien would be scolding her after this but she could deal with that later. She didn’t really lie. There wasn’t anything wrong about it…maybe.

His father laughed once catching them both off guard.

“I can now confirm that you are in good hands, Adrien.” Gabriel faced Marinette. “I hope to meet you again in the future. In France, perhaps. Please do take care of my son.”

Marinette gave him an enthusiastic nod. “I will.”

Gabriel buttoned his glove and said, “I shall be off.”

“Stay safe.” Adrien said. “I will see you soon.”

Him and his father shared a knowing look before Gabriel Agreste proceeded to the door and disappeared out of sight.

Marinette realized that both men did not really rely on words and depended on their actions instead. Adrien must have gotten that trait from his father. But Marinette was convinced that he got most of his attributes from his mother.

“Marinette.”

“I know,” she cooed. She took a hold of his coat’s sleeve and looked up at him. “Let us go. I will let you scold me for as long as you want.”

Adrien’s eyes rolled heavenwards. “At least sound like you are not looking forward to it.” He followed behind as Marinette lead him by the sleeve.

They have indeed come a long way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gawd this is so cheesy*
> 
> Buuut! The end is very neaar. I hope you guys liked this chapter and the next- as it would be the conclusion to this fic ToT. Thank you for continuing to read this story! I cannot wait for all of you to read the last chapter. :) <3


	37. The Lady & the Spy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which promises are made and futures are embarked together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the endnote after finishing this chapter for an announcement. Thank you and enjoy! :)))

Marinette hummed happily as she stepped on the coach, lifting the ends of her dress from the ground. They were going to Hyde Park to watch sky lanterns. Rose had told her that once a year, people gather in the park to launch sky lanterns up in the sky. Marinette had never personally seen a sky lantern before nor had she experienced launching one. And so she was very excited. Rose also mentioned that their parents made her and Juleka participate in the event ever since they were little.

They didn’t have events like this in Paris and Marinette rarely attends if there was one anyways. And to think that she and Alya would be going back to France soon, Marinette wanted to make the most of her remaining time in London together with the others and she will without a doubt cherish it.

She let her hair down for the day and tied a red ribbon on the side of her head. Now that Sinclair was long gone and there were no threats surrounding them anymore, the spies no longer accompanied them to each and every place they went. Marinette felt a bit saddened by it- and so did the others. Though she and Adrien does find brief stolen moments for each other every now and then, it still wasn’t the same as before. Marinette knew that Alya resented it, too. And so as Juleka, despite her better judgment.

Marinette also overheard Nino saying that he and Adrien might have to leave the mansion soon since there was no point of staying there anymore. Adrien also mentioned to her that Jagged was planning on giving them another mission. But it would require them to stay here in London. If only they would have a mission that would let them stay in Paris.

They tried to ask Adrien, Nino and Stefano to come with them but they all politely declined. Nino said that he and Adrien would be staying all day in the headquarters for this day. Apparently, the head agent already tasked them to study all of the required information for their next mission. Stefano on the other hand, he had a meeting with the other spies regarding the Lavillant case.

And so Marinette, Alya and Juleka were all dejected.

When Rose assured that there was no need to worry there would be a lot of noblemen in the event, Marinette swore that she saw the men briefly blanch. Perhaps that was the reaction Rose was aiming for.

Alya suddenly gasped, her eyes wide.

Marinette, Juleka and Rose stared at her in wonder.

Marinette narrowed her eyes at her friend. “What is the matter?”

Alya flickered her gaze at her, “I just realized that it has almost been a year since we arrived here.”

Marinette stilled as she realized what month it already was. Alya was right. It had almost been a year since they left Paris to reside in London for a while. It also meant that her first encounter with _Chat_ had been roughly a year ago. Never would she have thought that she would experience and go though all of the things that has happened since she got here. She never even expected that she would find someone she would love dearly. Despite on insisting that Adrien was a jerk and that they would never work out.

“Ah, yes,” said Juleka. “Why does it feel like it had not been a year? The both of you will be heading home soon. Rose and I will miss you.”

Rose pouted. “Do you really have to go?”

Marinette and Alya traded glances before looking back at them.

“We figured that going back to Paris is the right decision for the both of us,” said Marinette. “Though we will dearly miss you as well and everything here in London. We could exchange letters and Alya and I could pay a visit.”

Rose sighed heavily, leaning her back against Juleka. “But it will not be the same,” she complained. “The mansion would be quiet again and Juleka and I would be forced to spend time with Chloé whenever her father insists,” she scowled. “I think the only reason why she does not visit so often now is because of you, Mari.”

“Eh?” Marinette drew back, pointing a finger to her chest. “Me? What did I ever do to her?”

As far as she knew, she didn’t like talking to her nor had she ever have a proper conversation with her. The last time she remembered talking to her was when she attempted to return Adrien’s coat to him while he was talking with Chloé. And now Marinette realized how uncomfortable Adrien looked then.

“Oh, you know,” Rose said in a singsong. “She likes Monsieur Adrien and he does not like her. She wants to spend time with him but everytime she does he has this gloomy look on his face. And I think she might have felt that the monsieur was rather attracted to _you_.” Rose wagged her brows at Marinette.

“Wha-I-” Marinette stumbled on her words as the three girls began laughing at her. She grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. “It is not like that.”

Alya snorted. “Really now, Mari?”

Marinette glared at her. “We were not on good terms back then,” she reasoned. “I doubt that he was attracted to me at that point.” But she hoped that he was. “And if it is true, how could have Chloé noticed when she was too busy trying to corner him?”

Rose giggled. “If my mind serves me not, I think Chloé mentioned that she hates you.”

Marinette’s jaw slacked. “ _WHAT?”_

Alya winced at her voice. “Marinette!” she scolded.

Marinette huffed, feeling her pulse race. “How can she hate me when we barely even talk?”

That was beyond judgmental of her. Now Marinette had absolutely no plans on making amends with Chloé- not that she really thinking about doing it anytime soon. That girl did annoy her from the moment that they met.

“There, there,” Alya patted her head. “Let us change the subject before Marinette here combusts.”

Marinette huffed, still feeling the annoyance bubbling on the pit of her stomach.

Well, it shouldn’t matter now because Chloé can never have Adrien because, well, he belonged to her now. Marinette sucked in her cheeks, stopping her mouth from forming a full-blown smile. If only he had come with her today. She would have experienced the event with him and she would have enjoyed it even more. But Marinette understood that his profession must come first. If studying their mission well meant preventing his life from being in furthermore danger, Marinette would endure the times they would have to spend apart from each other.

They all stepped out of the coach as they finally arrived in Hyde Park. People were already starting to crowd the place and most of them are holding unlit sky lanterns as they searched for spots they could stay on to have a better and comfortable view for the event later on.

“All there is left to do is to wait for the moon and stars,” said Juleka as she looked up the sky.

It was late in the afternoon. Alya had suggested that they just leave the mansion thirty minutes before the event starts but Juleka said that they wouldn’t be having any place to stand by then. The park would already be packed with people wanting to participate. And they all decided to leave early so that it wouldn’t be too crowded yet and they would have some time to find the perfect spot- wherever that was.

“Alya, Marinette!” Rose called as she waved at them from a particular spot.

“Is this it?” asked Alya as she glanced around.

Rose nodded. “Indeed it is. This is mine and Juleka’s special spot,” she beamed. “We always make sure that we will be standing on the same exact place as we did the first time we experienced the sky lanterns. Think of it as having a sentimental value for us.”

“Are you certain that it is all right for you to share it with me and Alya?” Marinette asked. “You did say that it is special.”

“But of course!” Rose giggled, tugging them both down to sit on the grass. “We all have known each other since we were little girls and have been friends since then. If there was anyone Juleka and I would willingly bring with us here it would be the two of you,” she said. “And you are leaving soon so we would like to have this memory with you both.”

Marinette felt emotional all of a sudden. Sure, they would still be able to talk through letters but just as Rose said earlier, it wouldn’t be the same. And though they could still visit each other, it would take time. She and Alya have to focus on their studies once they get back and Rose and Juleka have their own responsibilities to deal with.

“Why are we acting like we would never see each other ever again?” Alya mocked.

A smile danced on Juleka’s lips. “Perhaps that is because we all are quite aware that it would take a long time before we reunite. We are not feeling blue just because we are parting soon but because the memories that we have shared and created together would seem to be far away even if it really is not,” she said with a calm voice. “And besides, it is not only Rose and I that you will be leaving.” Juleka said with a teasing glint on her eyes.

Alya snorted, crossing her arms. “You have the nerve to tease us because you know full well that your spy will be staying here in London,” she sneered.

Juleka narrowed her eyes and hid her flaming face behind a curtain of her black hair. “That is not true.”

“Sure, sure, we believe you.” Alya winked.

A few hours passed with them chatting about all sorts of things that they could think of. Marinette missed her friends back in Paris and would like to spend time with them as soon as she could but nothing can ever compare to Rose and Juleka. She figured that each person had a different effect to one another. And perhaps that may be the reason why they had been friends for so long- because they balanced each other out and they were true to one another.

London truly was a breath of fresh air. Marinette had no regrets of coming despite of all the things that have happened and could have happened. She knew that Alya felt the same way, too. She would preserve this memory and bring it with her till the very end. But this wouldn’t be all it. She would be coming back and new memories shall be created- happier ones. But even though London had already gained itself a special space in her heart, she would still have to go back to Paris and she was sure of it. She would conquer all the possible loneliness and longing and wait until she would have the chance to fulfill everything that she had been wanting.

She would work hard for it with all her might.

The day finally turned into night and the start of the event was drawing close. Marinette could barely contain her excitement as sky people began to reveal their sky lanterns, preparing for it to take flight.

If only Adrien had been with her.

Her thoughts were brought to a stop as she heard Alya gasp.

“What is wrong?”

Alya was rummaging through her clutch, looking for something.

“The cleaning cloth for my glasses,” she said. “I think I left it at the coach.”

Marinette’s brows furrowed. “Can’t you just use your dress instead?”

Alya shot her a glare. “Marinette, I have to see those damn lantern things with high definition eyes. I might as well not watch it at all if I am going to rely on these blurry glasses.”

Marinette heaved out a deep breath and stood. “I shall get it for you. I do not want you to pester me throughout the viewing.”

Alya squealed and hugged Marinette’s legs. “I love you!”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Of course you do.”

She engraved the picture of their surroundings in her mind so that she wouldn’t get lost when she ventures back to their spot. It was really getting very crowded already after all.

“Come back as fast as you can, okay?” Alya called from behind her.

Getting to the coach was easy but trying to get back to the girls was quite troublesome. Although Marinette was certain that she was going the right way as she passed on familiar people and points of the park that was near to where she came from. The event wasn’t starting yet so she better take her time an travel back to their place slowly but surely- to be a hundred percent sure that she wouldn’t be spending her first ever sky lantern launching away from the others.

If she were going to spend it away from the others she wouldn’t be having a lantern of her own because her lantern was back at their spot.

Marinette sighed, continuing to walk down the path as accurately as she can. Alya was sure to bring any other thing inside her make-up filled bag and yet she forgot one of the most important things that she should always keep by her side at all times.

“Are you lost, Miss?”

Marinette turned to the unfamiliar voice.

“Beg pardon?”

The man had a thick British accent and he looked like he was just about her age. He had brown hair and caramel eyes. He was quite on the short side, too.

“Are you lost?” he asked once more.

Marinette prevented herself from releasing a disturbed breath. She had already learned a big lesson on talking to strangers and she wouldn’t be falling for that again.

“No, I am not,” she said and offered him a small smile, trying to be as polite as she can.

“Are you certain? I can help you find your way back if you want,” he offered.

Marinette wanted to roll her eyes.

She could clearly see the group of friends behind him that appeared to be enjoying their small talk. Marinette presumed that they must have agreed on a bet.

“I do not need that. Thank you.”

“Ah, but the event will be starting soon.”

He wasn’t going to back down, was he?

And if he would keep on talking to her she would certainly miss the event.

Marinette gave him a frosty look. “I can go back on my own. Please do stop bothering me and go back to your friends over there,” she said, nodding behind him. “Be a gentleman and let a lady do as she please, will you?”

The man gaped at her, all the words that he seemed to have practiced have dispersed. Without saying anther word, he nodded and rushed back to his colleagues.

Marinette let out a harsh sigh, shutting her eyes for a moment.

_Well that was bothersome._

She was kind, yes, but people like that just made her stomach stir in a way she did not and will never like. She was glad that the man finally gave up on her as she would only be in a bad mood if he had kept on talking.

_I better get back._

Marinette turned on her heels and took a step towards her original path.

“I leave you for a couple of hours and someone is already planning on making advances on you.”

Marinette screeched as she felt a warm breath on her neck.

She stumbled around, the heel of her shoe almost sinking deep on the grass.

“Adrien?” she shrieked and then covered her mouth when she realized how loud she was. She glanced around her to see if anyone head heard her and then leaned towards Adrien. “What are you doing here? I thought you were busy?”

Adrien unbuttoned his coat and took off his gloves. “Well, I am not anymore. And why are you whispering?” he cocked a brow at her. “Am I not supposed to be here?”

Marinette leaned back, shaking her head. “N-No. It is not that. But…”

What was she saying? Of course she wanted him there.

“But?”

Marinette scratched at her ear, feeling at loss for words. “How did you get here?”

“Jagged,” he simply said. “He dismissed us early and said that we should go here to be with our _lovers_ ,” he enunciated the word as though it did not belong to his dictionary. “How troublesome.”

Marinette’s face flushed.

_Lovers?_

She hung her head, fiddling her fingers. “Your lover?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Apparently I have one. I wonder who could it be?” he had a teasing tone to his voice and Marinette’s face only got redder.

She has confessed her feelings to him but she did not know if he exactly felt the same but she knew that somehow he might have feelings for her. They kiss and they hug, yes, and they cared for each other deeply and they always want to be together- well, for Marinette, that is.

Does that make them…lovers?

“Ah, well, Jagged must have gotten it wrong. I guess I should leave.”

Marinette sucked in a breath and without thinking, her hands clasped around his arm as he turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Adrien glanced back at her, his brow raised. But she could see that he was trying so hard not to grin.

“I-” Marinette turned her face to the side, hiding her blush. She squeezed his arm and said, “Stay.”

Marinette hoped that no one was watching or listening them.

_This is so embarrassing!_

She would have to get back at him later.

Adrien walked beside her and her hands fell from his arm. He brought his hand up and patted her head. “All right then. Because you insist.”

Marinette faintly huffed. “You want to stay yourself,” she mumbled.

“Sorry?”

“Nothing. Nevermind.”

He slipped her a doubtful glance.

“I almost forgot.” Marinette fished for the cleaning cloth on the pocket of her dress. “I have to give this to Alya,” she said, showing it to him.

“You need not to do that. Nino is with them and so is Stefano. Alya would have to ask Nino for his.”

Marinette tilted her head, blinking up at him. “Are we not going to them?”

Adrien stared at her but it wasn’t the kind that was dull and bleak. In fact, Marinette could see a tinge of endearment. “I wondered if you wanted to spend time together. Just the two of us.”

Marinette had to stop herself from squealing. Adrien have never formally asked her to spend time together. Usually, he would just appear out of nowhere and they would end up with each other. But Marinette didn’t mind this method, too. She might even like it than the other.

Her mouth curved into a smile. “Of course.”

They found a spot near the lake of Hyde Park. People have started gathering around and Marinette heard from a few people that the event would be starting soon. Alya and the others must be looking for them but Marinette wanted to be selfish for a while. She wanted to share this moment with Adrien and with him alone. They wouldn’t be seeing each other for quite a long time after all.

She stopped herself from turning her head at the voices not too far away from her. A group of girls were gossiping about how handsome a particular man looked and Marinette knew too well that they were referring to Adrien. They went on and on about how perfect he looked and if they should go up to him and try to strike up a conversation.

Feeling a tinge of jealousy starting to disturb her, Marinette stepped aside, closer to Adrien. Close to the point that their shoulders were directly pressed against each other.

_That’s better._

Adrien gave her a questioning look. “Is something the matter?”

Marinette figured that it worked when the girls’ gossiping started to dwindle down.

“Cold,” she lied.

It was a bit chilly but it wasn’t too much that it made her shiver. The temperature was just fine.

In no less than a minute, Marinette felt his coat around her.

“I have no energy to scold you about forgetting your coat so let us just leave it as that.” Adrien said.

Marinette felt her heart thump again and her joy buoyed.

He might not look or act like it but Adrien really was sweet.

She hugged the coat tightly around her body relishing its warmth.

All heads turned to the source of the speaking trumpet as one of the organizers announced that the event would be starting in a matter of minutes and that attendees should start lighting up their lanterns.

Marinette instinctively reached for her lantern beside her but her fingers were only welcomed by air. Her shoulders slumped when she remembered that her lantern was with the girls. They were too far away from them and she might even get lost if tries to get it from them.

“Adrien,” she said, tugging on his sleeve. “We do not have any lan-”

Marinette’s gaze landed on the white lantern on Adrien’s right hand.

“tern,” her eyes widened at it as her eyes shifted from the lantern and then at him. “When did you get that?”

“Someone was selling them earlier,” he handed her the lantern. “I got it while you looked like you were brooding about something.”

Brooding?

Ah, yes. The girls that were gossiping about him.

“But we only have one.”

Unexpectedly, Adrien smiled. “We will have to share then.”

Marinette audibly gasped, instant warmth shooting up to the back of her neck. Absentmindedly, her hand went up to clutch the fabric above her chest.

His smile slipped, worry crossing over his features. “Are you all right?”

Marinette squeezed her eyes close and nodded. “My heart hurts.”

“What?” he said rather loudly. His hands wrap around her arms, “Let us get you to the hospital.”

She opened her eyes, a giggled bubbling past her lips. “No, Adrien,” she said pushing him away.

His expression remained the same. “But you said-”

Marinette shook her head at him, her smile still in place. “It hurts because I am happy.”

Adrien screwed his face in confusion. “That does not even make any sense.”

She giggled. “Forget that I said that. Come on, let us light our lantern.”

Adrien grumbled, confusion still crossing his face.

They held their lit lantern together as they waited for the cue to let it go. Marinette stared at the light coming from the lantern, unable to take her eyes away from it. Though she knew that it would look far more beautiful up in the sky, she couldn’t even imagine how dazzled she would be once all of the lanterns are up when she was already in awe just by looking at a single one now.

“Marinette, you are going to hurt your eyes. Stop staring at it.” Adrien warned.

Marinette shook her head, still entranced. “I love it.”

Adrien let out a devastated sigh. “You will not be able to watch them later on if you keep that up.”

She immediately shifted her gaze away from their lantern and squeezed her eyes shut a few times to regain her proper vision.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to release your lanterns,” the organizer announced.

Marinette gasped, bouncing on her toes.

“Stay still,” said Adrien.

She watched as the people around them started releasing their lanterns up in the sky. As soon as the lantern leave their fingers, their eyes travel up to watch float above them.

“Adrien,” she turned back to him, pure excitement etched on her face. “Let us release ours now.”

He nodded with a small smile. “All right. One the count to three. One, two,”

_Three._

The lantern began to levitate above them and it went higher and higher and higher. Marinette tried to keep her eyes locked on their lantern as much as she could and she could already see other lanterns beginning to swarm above. She wondered if Alya and the others have already released theirs. It would be impossible for her to spot each and every one of them but she knew that it was there somewhere.

Marinette took a long gasp as the sky was finally filled with lanterns that was once just in their hands. They looked like giant fireflies roaming around each other in the sky, seeming to create their own dance that enchanted the people below them. Their yellow lights contrasted the black sky and the white twinkles of stars. Marinette had never seen anything so spellbinding. She stared at them, her eyes skirting almost every part of the sky that had a lantern. If only she could take all of this back to Paris with her.

“It so _beautiful_ ,” she said, mesmerized by the view above her.

“Very.” Adrien replied.

Marinette flickered her eyes towards him and saw that the lanterns, too, enthralled him. She smiled to herself. The lanterns were beautiful, yes, but nothing can compare to Adrien. The sky lanterns only came second to him. Back when she still hadn’t met him, Marinette thought that it would be impossible to find someone who seemed like he had been carved by God himself. But from the moment he saved her as Chat, she knew that her presumption was false. And when she began to love him, never would she have thought that it would grow this big- and has yet to develop furthermore.

This man. This man who had refused to tell her his name when they met. The man who pretended to be an escort from Paris. The man who at one point, ignored and avoided her as much as he could. The man who broke her heart and mended it back together again. The man she loved and the only one she will ever love.

Never in a thousand years would she believe that he was the same boy from years ago that had opened up her heart in the first place.

Feeling too caught up in the moment, Marinette decided to seize the day. She stepped close to him, stood up on the tips of her toes and placed her lips near his ear.

_Here goes._

“I love you.”

She felt Adrien still as the three words escaped her mouth.

She flattened her feet back in the ground as she smiled at Adrien’s expression. The tops of his ears were red and so were his cheeks. He kept on blinking straight ahead, seeming to be unaware- for the first time –of what he should say.

Adrien slightly turned his face away as Marinette continued to gaze lovingly at him.

“Th-Thank you. I guess.” He said.

Marinette chuckled.

It was the first time she had seen him so flustered.

“Adrien,” she leaned towards him, clasping her hands behind her.

Adrien kept his eyes away from her. “What now?”

Marinette beamed at him. “I love you.”

She saw him gulp.

Marinette bit her lip, forcing herself to refrain from laughing.

_He is so adorable!_

“Y-You already said it once. I heard it the first time.”

Marinette nodded slowly. “I know.”

She took a step towards him, leaning her body to the side to peer at his face. “ _Je t’aime tellement mon chaton_.”

Adrien gnashed his teeth, grumbling.

Marinette stepped back, giggling. She resumed her spot, engraving Adrien’s reactions- and the entire memory of him blushing and getting flustered –in her mind. She engraved it on every part of her brain, vowing herself that she would never forget it. It only happens rarely after all. And she might not ever see it again, knowing how Adrien hated to look so vulnerable.

That look on his face was now Marinette’s top favorite.

“I too.”

…

…

_What? Did-Did he just. Did he say that?_

As if to confirm Marinette’s subconscious assumption, Adrien said in a more audible voice,

“I love you too.”

Marinette’s brain stopped working and her breathing seemed to have temporarily halted as well. Her heart was palpitating and sweat was trickling down her neck.

_Did he just really-?_

Marinette slowly turned her head to him, her eyes wide, almost looking fearful. Adrien was looking up in the sky, acting as though he had not just said anything that made Marinette die momentarily.

Her hands went to the sleeve of his coat, her eyes pleading. “Can you,” she gulped. “Can you say that again?”

Adrien recoiled. “What? No!”

Marinette’s hands made their way on his sleeve again. “Please, please, Adrien? One more time?”

Adrien’s arm went up, his hand blocking the view of his flaming cheeks. “Lower your voice, it is embarrassing.”

Marinette shook her head. “No. Tell me you love me again, please?”

Adrien groaned, keeping his blush hidden.

Marinette had now abandoned the sky lanterns and focused her attention on Adrien instead. She would look at the lanterns later what was important now was the situation with Adrien. He had _never_ told her that he loved her before. Marinette didn’t even know that he loved her. Period. She knew that he had feelings for her but…

Adrien faced her, his hand now beside him. Though his face looked determined, he still couldn’t get rid of his deepening blush.

He took a deep breath, still avoiding her eyes. “I love you, Marinette.”

Marinette’s mouth gaped and her hand clutched her chest again.

_I love you, Marinette._

He…He loved her.

Adrien loved her.

Marinette squealed in delight, turned away from him and pressed her hands against her warm cheeks. If she could roll down the grass right now she would have done it already. She was in so much glee that she kept on repeating the words that he had just uttered in her head over and over and over again. Her joy towards the sky lanterns was nothing compared to this.

“Marinette, I,” Adrien paused, “I have a big favor to ask you.”

She turned back to him, her grin slowly fading at the seriousness in his voice.

_What is wrong?_

Without warning, he took her hand and guided her out of the crowd. Marinette followed behind him, her eyes locked on his back. She had no idea of what was going on nor had she the slightest of inklings. Just a moment ago they were proclaiming their feelings for one another and now there was this.

They stopped on a place that was not too far away from the rest of the crowd but it had enough distance that they were certain they were the only ones that could hear each other. They could see still the sky lanterns but Marinette seemed to have already forgotten about them.

Adrien released a silent breath. He looked serious and the vibe around them seemed to have turned heavier compared to earlier. Agitation was starting to creep on Marinette as seconds passed of them just standing there facing each other.

“You and I both know that I am not a man of many words and I rarely voice out my emotions and I keep them to myself as much as I can,” he began.

Marinette only managed a nod.

“And I,” he breathed out. “I can be callous at times and my pride is something that I am still working on.”

A nod.

“I have a lot of flaws and I admit that I do not embrace them all. I do not trust people easily and I detest it when they break my belief in them. My profession is dangerous, _I_ myself am dangerous.” Adrien briefly closed his eyes as he sighed. “I lie a lot although I despise it. I am dense and tend to be beyond stupid at times especially when it comes to my own feelings. I am blunt and a complete jerk and I do not think I can change that any time soon. I am not as romantic as other men and I am not really fond of showing public affections.”

What was going on?

Adrien could’ve might as well state every single flaw there is about him but why was he saying it to her? What was its purpose? Does he want her to hate him?

“My father…” he trailed off. “He said something to me that had kept me wide awake a couple of nights thinking about it.”

She pressed her lips together.

Had Mr. Agreste disapproved of her?

“He said something that I could have not realized myself. And then when I pondered over it more, I figured that it made sense.”

He released another breath, looked at her straight in the eye and said with his voice firm as ever. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“Yes.” She replied immediately, her heart hammering loudly on her chest.

Marinette counted the heartbeats that passed.

_Five._

_Six._

_Seven._

“There is nothing more that I want in this world than to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Marinette’s eyes widened, her lips slightly parted.

_What?_

“I want to know everything there is to know about you. I want you to share your future with me. I want to grow old with you and if possible, I also want to have children with you.” He heaved in another breath before resuming. “I want to be the only man that you will ever love and you shall be the same to me. Words cannot suffice how deeply and genuinely I feel for you. You changed me and you changed me for the better. Marinette, you introduced me to a whole new world.”

Marinette stood and listened to him not knowing how to react and what to say. But she cannot mistake the constant pounding on her chest.

_Adrien,_

_What are you doing?_

“I know that this is selfish of me but I want you to be mine and mine alone. I do not want to share you with anyone else and I,” he stopped, his eyes filled with love and compassion. “I love you more than the capacity of what my heart can ever hold.”

Marinette didn’t even notice that her hand was now clutching her chest. It hurt. It hurt too much but it wasn’t because she was sad. It was so full that she didn’t now if she could handle more. It felt as though she would faint at any minute.

Adrien stepped towards her, their distance from each other long gone.

“Give me your left hand.”

Marinette stared at him in confusion but gave him her hand all the same.

He held her hand and gazed in her blue eyes. Adrien had a small and almost shy smile on his lips. “Will you accept me, Marinette?”

Marinette blinked at him a few times, perplexed. “I, I do. But what for?”

Adrien’s smile grew wide as he continued gazing on her. “As your lover and future husband.”

_My,_

_My what?_

She felt something slipping on her ring finger. Adrien brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. And it was only then when Marinette saw the ring that was now sitting on her finger.

She gasped as the ring came in full view.

_It was so beautiful._

Braided vines of rose gold weave together with violet and sky blue gemstones accenting the ring. And at the middle, there sat a brilliant sapphire.

Marinette was completely lost.

The ring was beyond gorgeous but she couldn’t just accept this.

Heavens above it must have cost a lot!

“Ad-Adrien, what,” she gulped. “What is this ring for?”

He stepped closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I am proposing to you, Marinette.”

_Propose?_

Marinette weighed the word in her mind. All the things that he said earlier…it was a proposal? A proposal of marriage? Sure, it is not rare for maidens at her age to get married. That practice is even insisted but…

Marinette’s head hurt from all the thinking.

“We do not have to get married right away,” he said, sensing the unease in her expression. “In truth, I do not plan for it to happen anytime soon. I will wait until you graduate and I will wait until you are ready,” he explained. “I do not care how long it will take so please do take your time.” Adrien assured. He took her hands in his, giving it a squeeze. “Think of this engagement as a more clear indication that you belong to me and I to you.”

Her heart thumped as it all finally dawned to her.

Adrien wanted to marry her.

He wanted to grow old with her and be together for as long as they lived. And there she was constantly doubting his feelings for her. Why did she ever underestimate him? He might seem emotionless and stoic but Adrien was a man with a big heart and a lot of love to give. He was kind and generous and thoughtful and opposite to what a majority of people think of him. He was understanding and would do everything just so his thoughts and feelings would reach the person he truly cared for. He thinks of others first before he regards his well-being and he will protect someone even if it caused him his life.

Adrien thought her how to love and everything in between. He thought her how to fight and never give up.

He was her world and nothing can ever change that.

“Oh, Adrien.” Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face on the crook of his neck. His arms coiled around her body pulling her flush against him. It didn’t take long when tears began to flow out of her eyes. Marinette felt light on her feet as pure happiness continue to regulate through her. Nothing can _ever_ surpass this.

Adrien pulled away from her but not too much that broke their embrace. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and gazed at her. “Is that a yes then?”

Marinette laughed through her tears. “Of course!”

Adrien hugged her once more, this one tighter than before.

She loved the stoic Adrien and she loved the shy and adorable Adrien. But she loved this Adrien, too. She loved every part of him and she loved them equally. Now she knew that she didn’t have to doubt his feelings. She should have known it from the start. She should have paid more attention to the way he looked and held her.

He was already giving her an answer through his actions.

Marinette leaned back, happy tears still in her eyes. Adrien chuckled and began wiping her tears away with his thumb.

This man was precious and she will never let him go.

Making the first move for the first time, Marinette found his lips with hers, catching him off guard. She wanted him to know. She wanted him to know how much she loved him, too. She tilted her head, deepening their kiss, hoping that her message got to him. Her fingers wove themselves in his soft hair, drawing him closer. Marinette couldn’t and would never get enough him. She would never tire of him and she hoped he wouldn’t with her, too. There were soft moans and hums of pleasure but she had no idea whom it came from. She didn’t want to think. She tasted her salty tears as they continued to get lost in the moment. Marinette’s eyes were shut close and the only things that existed were their love for each other.

And it was there to stay.

Finally, after what seemed to have been a long time that their lips were visibly swollen, they found it in them to pull away from each other rather unwillingly. Marinette cupped his beautiful face in her hands, wondering what miracle she could have done that made her have this man. Adrien wasn’t perfect, yes, but he was more than enough for her.

“We are going to be together,” said Marinette, happily.

Adrien chuckled. “We are.”

“We are going to get married.”

He smiled. “We will.”

Marinette blushed fiercely at her next words. “We are going to have babies.”

Adrien froze, his face slightly blanched.

Marinette wanted to laugh at the sight.

“Well, perhaps…yes,” he coughed, dwelling on what she said. “I guess we will.”

She pulled completely away from him and twirled around. “We are going to make lots of them!” she teased.

The blood on his face drained. “What?!”

Marinette was unable to suppress her wide grin.

His eyes turned quite fearful. “Just how many are you planning, Marinette?”

“Hmm,” she dragged, tilting her head up and scrunched her nose. “Twelve is good.”

Adrien blinked at her. Hard. “I beg your pardon?”

Unable to take it anymore, Marinette’s laughter echoed through the space.

Adrien sighed, shaking her head at her, the corners of his eyes crinkled. He made his way towards her and hugged her from behind.

“Ah, well, we will figure it out very soon,” he said, rested his chin on her shoulder and nuzzled his cheek against hers.

Marinette brought her hand up, cupped his cheek and soothed it with the pad of her thumb.

“Yes,” she agreed. “We will.”

 

~

 

With that, Marinette and Adrien watched the sky lanterns continue their way up and up until they completely disappeared behind thick clouds and twinkling stars. And through generations and generations of secret agents within the organization, they were known as the lady and the spy who fell in love despite all odds.

 

_The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anything else, I would like to say that I did state that this would be the last chapter for this fic buuuuuut!! I will finally say that we have 2 MORE SPECIAL CHAPTERS!! >_< Wipeee!! And it is heavily centered around Adrien and Marinette- of course ;). Please do look forward for them. :))) 
> 
> And last but not the least, thank you all for your support throughout this fic and honestly, if it weren’t for you guys this au wouldn’t have seen the light of day or I would have probably stopped updating halfway through. I won’t keep this note long and all as this definitely wouldn’t be the last au that I am going to write for Miraculous. There are still A LOT of stories that I am to tell and if it isn’t too much to ask, I hope that you are still there to read and support it and most especially, make you smile, as that is what’s important to me. :D Again! Thank you for this lovely experience and I hope to meet you all again- through our devices –when the next story comes. :) God bless! :* <3


	38. Love & Spies (Bonus 1.1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which declarations of love are revealed because of an unavoidable spurt of jealousy.

Marinette walked down the hall with all her five senses in full alert. She wanted to be prepared by the time he beckons her so that she wouldn’t be a flustering mess- well, she could try her very best. Marinette whistled a tune, hands clasped behind her back and peeking into every corner that she passed hoping to see a familiar head of unruly blonde hair.

They only had two more weeks before they go back to Paris and she and Adrien are maximizing their time together. But the thing was, they had to do it in secret. None of their friends- anyone, actually –were aware of their relationship and that they were now engaged. Marinette hid her ring as much as she could and luckily, Alya hadn’t found out about it yet. They were planning on telling them about the engagement, yes, but they agreed that they would do it a few days before Marinette’s departure. In that way, they could avoid buckets of questions that were going to be fired at them by everyone.

And she has yet to explain it to her parents when she gets back.

What made their secret meetings harder was that they were far apart. Adrien, Nino and as well as the other spies have now moved out of the mansion and was staying on their respective apartments. Marinette tried to convince him not go but he said that it would be bothersome for the Lavillants to have them stay in the mansion knowing that the mission was already finished. Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant attempted to make them stay, too, but the spies’ decision remained the same much to their dismay.

Adrien and Marinette often met outside the mansion every early afternoon and whenever she and the girls were in the main square, if fate allows them, they would meet there, too. They had to rely on letters so that they would know the perfect time of when and where to meet. And their messenger was none other than Mireille. Adrien was the one who usually sets it, as apparently it was one of his expertise. Even if they meet a couple of times it still wasn’t enough. She would have preferred it if he was only around the mansion. That would have been easier for the two of them.

But today, as stated on Adrien’s letter from yesterday, he, Nino, Stefano and Jagged are going to be visiting the mansion. Jagged wanted to speak with Jermaine and Rosella and he let them come with him. She hoped that they would visit more often.

And so she was all eyes and ears as Adrien might just be lurking around a corner, waiting for the right time to sweep her away- or not.

Alya and the others must already be in the dining room. She asked for Alya to go on without her because she had something to fix first- which was a complete lie. Marinette wanted to make sure that she would be free if ever she has a chance encounter with Adrien. But now she was starting to think that he might be waiting with the others as well. Jermaine and Rosella did say that they were going to have lunch with their guests.

She hummed to herself as she made her way down the stairs. Mouth-watering aroma wafted from the kitchen and to Marinette’s nose, almost making her drool. She pressed a hand to her stomach as it softly grumbled. Picking up her pace, Marinette made it to the end of the stairs and began heading towards the dining room.

But it was stopped with an arm around her waist and a hand clamped down her mouth, practically dragging her to the back of the stairwell.

The hand left her mouth and she could already feel herself heating up.

“We have not done anything yet but you are already blushing,” he whispered on her ear.

Marinette bit her lip, stopping her face-splitting grin.

_It was him._

She swerved around, threw her arms around his neck and hauled him close to her. She breathed in his scent, closing her eyes as she did. “I’ve missed you.”

Adrien returned her embrace, his thumb soothing her shoulder. “It has been quite a while, has it not?”

And by that he meant not seeing each other for almost two days.

They both backed away and pressed a sweet kiss on each other’s lips. Adrien kissed her cheek before resuming his tight hug.

“I could not focus on my work,” he gave her a squeeze. “You were all I thought about.”

Marinette giggled, her heart soaring.

He was acting so lovely and yet he told her that he was not the romantic type.

“Perhaps I should pay you a visit on your headquarters.”

“Bad idea,” he replied without missing a beat.

Marinette pouted, thinking of another way that would allow them to see each other.

“What if I go to your apartment then?”

Adrien groaned, burying his face on her shoulder. “You know full well that I will keep you hostage once you set foot on the porch.”

Her cheeks hurt too much from smiling.

She didn’t mind if he’d keep her hostage, really.

His warmth then immediately left her when he pushed back, his hands gripping her shoulders and a furrow on his brows formed as he stared down at her. Well, not at her but at her dress instead.

Marinette looked at her dress and then back at him. “What is wrong?”

Adrien narrowed his eyes. “Did you happen to go somewhere today?”

Marinette nodded. “Yes, we went to a park early this morning.”

His eye twitched. “Wearing _that_?”

Marinette blinked at him. “Yes?”

“And why in the world did you choose to wear that of all dresses?”

“Because I like it,” she simply shrugged.

Adrien let out a deep breath through his nose, seeming to calm himself down. He put some distance between them, crossed his arms and looked away from her.

“You and I both know that I am a gentleman but you should be aware that I might as well turn into a full-blown beast in situations like this, Marinette.”

She stared at him, her mind tangled up in knots.

“What are you-”

_Oh._

Marinette paused, finally realizing what he was sulking about.

Her dress did show some skin. The sleeves of the gown went off her shoulders and the scoop was quite low, showing a bit of her chest- almost a cleavage. But in her defense, what was she supposed to do? It was quite hot today and it was the first dress that she pulled out of her closet. She was too lazy of picking another one and so she went with it instead. And besides, it did look beautiful.

Mischief forming at the back of her mind, Marinette’s lips curved into a smirk as she stepped towards him, placed her fingers under his chin and turned his head so he was facing her.

“You like it, do you not?”

An immediate blush appeared on his cheeks.

“Took you awhile to notice.”

Marinette giggled, an amused smile on her face. It was times like this when she liked to take advantage of him and tease him furthermore. She loved seeing the rare shy look on his face.

“Ah, but I do not think that you are a beast,” she said, wrapping her arms back around his neck. “Isn’t that right, _mon minou_?”

Adrien cocked a brow at her.

She made a move to step away and suggest that they should get to dining room but Adrien snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her dangerously close to him. He gazed at her with determination and a hint of a sly smile. Marinette began to open her mouth to say something but then his lips were on hers. The sweet vibe long gone and was suddenly replaced with something else. Marinette’s eyes shot open when she felt his hand slid further down and down at her back. Adrien nibbled on her bottom lip, her eyes still wide.

_W-What?_

And for the love of all that was holy, Adrien finally- and agonizingly slow at that –released her lip. Marinette almost feel herself sweat and her chest was pumping too hard. Adrien flickered his eyes at her and rubbed his nose against hers. “Am I still your _minou_ , Princess?” he asked, his voice husky.

Marinette softly gasped, her face heating up.

She abruptly pushed him away, avoiding his gaze. “I-I get it now.”

Everytime she teases him he always finds away to turn it back to her and it would always, always work.

Adrien chuckled, pulling her back in his arms again. “Let us not fight, okay?” he said, and kissed the top of her head.

Marinette twined her fingers together behind him, a small pout forming on her lips.

“I do not suppose you think we could get away from lunch, do you not?”

Marinette grumbled, nuzzling her face on his chest.

She felt him sigh. “We shall part now then. It will be harder if we stay like this longer.”

Marinette breathed out, knowing he was right.

How in the world will they be able to spend time together for more than five minutes?

 

~

 

Lunch went by with them trading brief glances and hidden smiles. It was a good thing that Adrien sat across her. But if only the table wasn’t too wide then they might have been able to even let the tips of their toes’ touch. Marinette made her way to Alya who had just parted with Nino on the parlour. Adrien had left with Jagged as soon as lunch finished- much to her dismay. Jagged said that they had something to discuss with Mr. Jermaine.

Marinette sighed. _Are spies really this busy?_

She passed on Juleka and Stefano who were both too immersed in their conversation that they failed to even notice her.

Marinette smiled to herself. Who knew that Juleka would be interested in a spy herself?

“What did you and Nino talk about?” she asked as she reached Alya.

“Oh, you know,” she shrugged. “Stuff.”

Marinette scowled at her. “I tell you everything,” _well, not everything._ “And that is all you have to say?”

Alya rolled her eyes at Marinette, the corners of her lips quirked. “He just asked how I have been doing. And then he mentioned that he would talk to Adrien about visiting us on the day of our departure. He also said that if only they were not studying for a new mission they would have the time to take us to Paris themselves.”

Marinette’s shoulders dropped. That would have been very lovely.

“Have you talked to him already? Adrien?”

Marinette stopped herself from blushing. “Only for a moment.”

Only for a heated moment, that is.

She didn’t want to think how her days would be like in Paris knowing that he was so far away from her. Once her parents got a glimpse of the ring on her hand, they would definitely bombard her with questions. And she would have to introduce him to them in accurate detail since he wouldn’t be with her when she comes back to Paris. Marinette wondered when will be the time she would be able to let the formally meet each other.

“Ah, well would you look at that,” said Alya, scorn dripping on her tone.

Marinette furrowed her brows at Alya. She flickered her eyes to where Alya’s gaze were and Marinette’s brows twitched as she saw what had caught her attention.

It was Chloé.

And she was talking to Adrien.

Not just talking but it seemed like she was flirting with him.

Adrien was politely chuckling and nodding to whatever it was that she saying but Marinette couldn’t mistake the discomfort in his green eyes. But then again, why can’t he just simply dismiss her? It wasn’t like it was too hard. And if he doesn’t do it anytime soon he might as well spend the rest of the day listening to her preposterous swoons and coos.

Marinette grimaced at the sight.

“What are you going to do, Ma-” Alya stopped as she saw Marinette’s expression. She swallowed, glancing at Chloé and Adrien and then back at her fuming friend. “Marinette?”

Marinette gritted her teeth her hands balled into fists. She wasn’t the jealousy type at all but when it came to Chloé, just hearing her say Adrien’s name with that whiny voice of hers sent a wave of fury and annoyance through Marinette’s entire being. And the fact that Adrien was doing nothing fueled up for irritation furthermore.

_That darn cat._

She kept her eyes locked at him, waiting for him to do something. _Anything._

His polite smile and crinkled eyes remained intact as Chloé’s hand went up to his chest _seeming_ to be brushing off some sort of speck of dust that might not even be there.

Marinette inwardly groaned.

And as though her rage had reached his end, Adrien’s gaze travelled to hers and he instantly blanched. His smile became more forced and his eyes screamed panic.

Marinette brought her hand up, showed him five fingers and tapped on her wrist, signaling that he only had five minutes to get himself out of that mess.

Adrien swallowed hard, partially ignoring Chloé’s bashful statements.

She raised a brow at him as Chloé’s hand wrapped around his arm as she complemented it.

Marinette didn’t even dare to mention how she loved his arms even once.

Adrien stiffly shook his head at her, giving it all his might to keep his features calm and prevent anyone from seeing that he was witnessing his life flash before his eyes.

“What is this?” she heard Alya from behind her. “Adrien looks like he had just seen a murderer finding its prey. Strange, I have never seen that look on his face before.”

Alya ignored the spectacle in front of them and settled on the couch to fix her curls instead.

Marinette on the other hand, was still immersed with a staring battle with a certain spy.

“You must be really working hard, aren’t you, Adrien?” she heard Chloé coo at him.

_She knows his real name?!_

Adrien chuckled nervously at her, his eyes switching between Marinette and Chloé.

Marinette tapped on her wrist again, reminding him of his time limit.

He knows full well about how she felt towards Chloé.

After a few more giggles and dreamy sighs, Chloé decided to level up their chit-chat by leaning her body against Adrien’s with a contented stupid look on her face.

_That is it._

Marinette stomped towards them, stopping behind Chloé. She pinned him with her eyes as he paled at the sight of her. He began pushing Chloé away as civil as he could but she just kept on going back to him as though she were a magnet.

Marinette cleared her throat to announce her presence.

Chloé’s girly giggles halted as she heard her. She craned her head to look at Marinette, her brow raised in confusion and annoyance. Chloé pulled away from him- _finally_ –but kept their distance close and turned around to acknowledge Marinette.

She folded her arms across her chest. “Do you need anything?”

Marinette gave her a cold stare before shifting his eyes at Adrien.

_Well?_

As though he understood the meaning behind it, Adrien walked away from Chloé and stood beside Marinette, releasing a staggered breath through his nose.

Chloé narrowed her eyes at them, her lips pursed. Then, she wrapped her fingers around his arm, abruptly pulling him back to her side.

Marinette could feel a cloak of blackness surrounding her.

“I would not have done that if I were you.” Marinette heard him mumble.

Chloé casted a glare at Marinette before turning to Adrien, her expression shifting, “Monsieur Agreste, would you mind accompanying me back to my house-”

_Oh, you little-_

Marinette seized his wrist, pulled him towards her, grabbed his tie, tugged him downwards and pressed her lips against his.

She heard a collective gasp from around the room but she couldn’t care less.

“Where is Agre-” she heard Nino from afar. “Nevermind, I found him.”

After a few seconds, Marinette pulled her lips away from him, her hand still gripping his tie. Adrien was blinking in utter surprise, his face flaming. She flickered her gaze towards Chloé, her voice unwavering. “The answer is no.”

Chloé stared at them, her eyes wide, her mouth twisted as she tried to think of what to say. “Wha-How-” she shook her head and then fixated her gaze at them once more. “How dare you do that to him you-you-” Her eyes then landed on the ring on Marinette’s left hand. Chloé took a loud and long gasp her arm extended as she pointed a finger at the ring. “You are engaged?!”

Marinette narrowed her eyes at Chloé, crossed her arms and flicked her head to the side, completely ignoring her.

Adrien cringed beside her as he was suddenly aware of the audience that they gathered- whose mouths were all widely gaped. “We-uh-that is-I-”

He was cut off by a deafening screech followed by consistent shouts of _‘Papa, he is already engaged!’_ as Chloé ran out of the mansion.

Marinette heaved out a sigh as she felt the weight on her shoulders finally being lifted off and the blackness surrounding her earlier was now replaced with a relaxing vibe.

_Hopefully that lady got the idea that I will not have her paws near him ever again._

She felt his hands on her shoulders as he now stood behind her.

“Marinette,” he said, his voice small.

She craned her head to look at him. “What?” she glanced at how his hands gripped her shoulders. “Why are you hiding behind me?”

Adrien gulped, keeping the forced innocent and friendly smile on his face intact. “They found us out, Princess.”

Marinette’s brows drew together in confusion.

_What is he talking ab-_

Marinette almost stumbled back on him as she saw the menacing glares of Alya, Nino, Juleka, Stefano and Rose who were lined up before them, demanding a long explanation.

This was going to be a very long day.

 

~

 

Marinette and Adrien sat on the couch on the parlor with a fair distance between them while the other sat on other couch that was directly opposite them. Marinette was twiddling her thumbs, practicing the things that she would say once they bombard them with questions. She and Adrien have been receiving curious stares, a few _tsks_ , hums of wonder and shakes of disapproval.

Adrien took a deep breath. “I can explain-”

Nino brought his finger up, silencing him.

Adrien sighed, leaning back against the couch.

Nino crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes at the both of them, his lips pressed in a thin line. “Shall I ask first?” he called to the others.

“The hell not,” Alya disagreed, her menacing glare locked on Adrien which made Marinette want to block the deathly rays of her stare and have it landed on her instead. She was already used to it and Adrien on the other hand, well, he might as well be traumatized by it.

Alya sat up straight and crossed her legs. “Agreste.”

Adrien slightly jolted. “Yes.”

Marinette slipped him a curious glance. He looked fine on the outside but she knew full well that he was mildly panicking on the inside.

“Since when have you been canood-apologies,” Alya paused to reiterate. “Since when have you started this relationship of yours?”

_When did it start?_

Marinette has liked him ever since but she couldn’t think of when they started acknowledging their feelings for each other. Perhaps it was when he gave her the painting?

Adrien kept his face relaxed. “I believe it was when I gave her the Miraculous.”

Alya’s brows rose and she nodded slowly, seeming to be contented with his answer.

_Phew._

“The Miraculous? As in the painting?” Nino asked. “You-That was for her?!” he exclaimed.

Marinette almost cringed.

“Shut up. It is not your turn yet.” Alya snapped.

Nino went back on his seat, his lips twisted in scorn.

Alya nodded at Juleka.

Juleka rolled her shoulders back. “To be honest,” she began.

Marinette’s chest started thumping because of nervousness and agitation.

“It does not bother me as much that you did not tell us, really,” she said.

Adrien and Marinette released a breath of relief.

“I understand your position and especially Marinette’s,” she winked at her with a smile. “You do have plans of telling us about it, do you?”

Marinette nodded vigorously. “Yes. We planned on telling everyone before Alya and I depart to Paris.” Marinette wrung her fingers at the sudden turn of events. “But I guess that it did not go as planned.”

Juleka bobbed her head, understanding. “I know that you will both tell us eventually. I am glad,” she smiled.

Marinette wanted to cry. _Juleka, you are an angel._

Alya grumbled. “You could have at least interrogated them a bit, Juleka.”

Juleka mumbled an apology.

Alya turned her gaze back at them. “Rose.”

Rose clasped her hands together.

_Please do not interrogate us._

_Please do not interrogate us._

And in a flash, Marinette saw blobs of pink hurtling towards them.

“I am so glad!” Rose chirped as she embraced bot Marinette and Adrien. “You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment!” she exclaimed. She pulled away from them, her eyes brimming with happy tears. “You made it work out.”

Marinette lip quivered. “Oh, Rose.” She wrapped her arms around Rose, engulfing her in a hug.

She remembered talking to her whether she should give up on Adrien or not. And Rose made it clear that if she truly loved him, she would know if she should take the risk or not. If she had not had that conversation with Rose, Marinette didn’t know if they would still be having this moment.

“Rose Lavillant, get your derriere back here.” Alya scolded.

Rose giggled, backing away. “Do not let her faze you,” she whispered to both Marinette and Adrien. “Believe me, she is jumping for joy in the inside right at this moment.”

Rose went back on her seat and flashed Alya an innocent smile.

Marinette felt the corners of her lips quirk up, the weight on her chest slowly disappearing. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

Alya cocked a brow at Stefano. “I don’t suppose you have anything to ask them?”

Stefano shrugged. “I am happy for them. That is all that matters.”

Adrien and Marinette wanted to give him a hug right then and there.

The intimidating aura that was surrounding them was starting to disperse

“Is it my turn now?” asked Nino.

Alya rolled her eyes heavenwards. “Do as you please.”

Nino stood from his seat, his eyes locked on Adrien as he walked towards him.

Marinette saw Adrien’s brow cock at him, perhaps wondering what Nino was going to say. And in a blink of an eye, Nino had his arms coiled around Adrien and he began wailing.

“You are going to get married!” he cried. Nino began nuzzling his cheek on Adrien’s chest. “You have grown so fast!” he sniffled.

Marinette stopped herself from giggling while Alya’s mouth was wide open as she stared at them.

“It was not long ago when it was just the two of us and you would beat me up because of something stupid that I did,” he reminisced.

Adrien writhed. “Let me go, Nino.”

Nino refused, a few tears spilling from his eyes. “And do you remember that time when you broke a table because you despised yourself for breaking Marinette’s heart?”

Adrien froze.

_He broke a what?_

“You were not supposed to say that, idiot.” Adrien hissed.

Nino shook and shuddered. “You were so worried about her that you barely slept at night. And you hated it when she was ignoring you and I think I also heard you say to yourself that you missed her smile and that you were an arse and that you wanted nothing more but to hold her in your ar-”

“Enough.” Adrien pushed him away making Nino fall on the floor, bottom first. Nino crawled back to him now wrapping his arms around his legs.

“You do not have to ask me. I shall be your best man.” He pushed himself up, sat beside Marinette and took her hands in his.

“Oi!” Adrien warned.

Nino ignored him as he brought their hands up to his chest, gazing straight at Marinette. “Please take care of my baby Agreste. If he ever breaks your heart again just tell me and I will lend you a gun, okay?”

Marinette giggled, nodding at his words. “I will take care of him, I promise.”

Nino wiped his eyes and grinned at her. He then turned to Adrien, his face shifting into a scowl. “Don’t you fucking hurt her again, Agreste.”

Adrien sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I will not but I may punch you if you won’t let go of her hands right at this moment.”

Nino stilled, abruptly let go of Marinette’s hands and dashed back on his seat. He wiped the remaining streaks of tears on his cheeks before smiling and said. “I am done.”

Marinette couldn’t stop the growing smile on her face as she thought about what Nino said earlier. Adrien broke a chair because of her and apparently, he couldn’t sleep at night because of her, too. And that he missed her smile and wanted to hold her in his arms.

She had to suppress her happy squeals.

Alya let out an anguished breath and rubbed her temples. “You all are the worst interrogators I have ever met in my entire life.” She shot a glare at Nino. “Especially you, you good for nothing foolish-”

Marinette listened as Alya and Nino began on a heated exchange of banters. She glanced at Adrien and at the space that sat between them. She pushed her lips at the side and glimpsed at Alya and Nino who were still immersed in their battle. Marinette pushed on her seat, shifting close and close to him until the space between them finally disappeared and their shoulders touched.

Adrien leaned down, whispering on her ear. “You are going to get us both killed.”

“I don’t care,” she whispered back.

Adrien silently chuckled and shifted on his seat. Now they were too close that their sides were squished against each other.

They heard a loud cough in front of them. “As far as I remember you were not that close a minute ago,” Alya reminded.

Marinette pouted at her, lacing both of her arms around Adrien’s.

“Aw, let them be, Alya.” Rose said. “You are going to be leaving soon, the least we could do is to let them have some time together. You and Nino, too.”

Alya and Nino grimaced.

“All right,” she breathed out. “Last question.” Alya dropped her intimidating act and she rested her elbows on her knees, propping her chin on her hands. “Since when have you two been engaged?”

Marinette and Adrien traded each other a loving look.

“On the night when we watched sky lanterns,” she replied.

Alya hummed. “That was not too long ago. Did you give her a ring?” she turned to Adrien.

“I did,” he nodded.

“ _WHAT?_ ” they all exclaimed except for Stefano.

Nino turned to him. “Why are you not surprised?”

“I helped Agreste look for one,” he answered.

Nino gasped, placing a hand on his chest. “You told him but you did not bother telling _me_?”

“You talk a lot, Nino.” Adrien deadpanned. “If I have told you, you would have not kept it to yourself.”

“That is-” Nino paused, thinking it through, “You made the right decision.”

“Let us see the ring!” Rose jumped from her seat and they all rushed towards Marinette.

The parlour erupted with _wows_ and _beautifuls_ as they looked at her ring. Marinette couldn’t blame them for reacting like that. When they got home after watching the sky lanterns, she locked herself in her room and stared at squealed at it for _hours._ She resumed her staring in the morning, too.

“That is a beautiful ring, Adrien. Good job.” Alya complimented. “But when is the wedding, though? Would it not be hard on the two of you to get married because of the you know, distance?”

“Marinette and I have already talked about that,” said Adrien. “I told her that I would wait after she has graduated and until she is ready. We have no intention of marrying now.”

A smile tugged on Alya’s lips. “Smart man,” she looked at Marinette. “I approve of him.”

Marinette giggled.

“All right.” Alya clasped her hands together. “Now that we have had this chat, it is time for your individual interviews,” she said and pulled Marinette away from Adrien. Nino and Stefano were doing the same thing to Adrien.

“Individual what?” asked Marinette.

“You did not think that it would be that easy, did you, Mari?” Alya said and tapped her nose.

“But-” Marinette reached for Adrien’s arm again. Adrien found her hand and laced their fingers together.

“But no buts.” Alya wagged her finger at her. “I promise you, we will let you have the rest of the day together tomorrow but as for now, we will have to separate you from each other.” Alya tugged on her arm, trying to pry her away.

“Nooooooo.” Marinette said stubbornly. She rushed towards Adrien and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face on his chest.

She could hear Rose and Juleka squeal from behind her.

“Marinette.” Adrien chuckled, patting her head.

Alya grunted at Nino and Stefano.

“He would have killed us if we pushed her away,” said Nino.

“Precisely.” Stefano agreed.

Alya groaned. “Come on now, Marinette,” she said, tugging on Marinette’s hair.

Marinette glanced back at her. “Do you promise?”

Alya rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, I do! How can I not if Rose have already arranged a date for Stefano and Juleka, you and Adrien, and me with that dumbass.”

Rose rocked on her feet, innocently smiling at them.

“Mind your words, woman!” Nino complained.

Alya shot him a glare.

Marinette heaved out a heavy sigh, finally letting go of him.

Adrien smiled down at her and squeezed her fingers. “I will see you tomorrow.”

Alya hooked her arms around Marinette’s waist while Juleka and Rose began pulling on her arm. Adrien was being taken away by his colleagues as well- not too forcefully because they knew that Adrien might end their lives if they did. Their fingers were slowly being pulled apart as their friends pulled on them.

“Adrien,” Marinette cooed, a small pout forming on her lips.

He chuckled again. “Please do not look at me like that.”

After a few more tugs and pulls, they were finally apart and were now being dragged to their respective interrogation chambers. Though they have not spent that much time today, Marinette had something to look forwards to the next day.

She just have to survive the burning questions on Alya, Juleka and Rose’s minds first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delayed update! School got in the way and I barely had time to edit the chapter. ToT  
> Buuut anywayss, I hope you all liked this special chapter just as much as I did <3\. I have already written the second special, I just have to edit it. :) And as for the third one, I haven't written it yet so it might take quite a while before I get to post it. But rest assured, the second special shall be ready by next week. :) Thank you for reading!  
> *  
> BONUS: As for my gratitude for all of you who've given this fic a chance to be read, I want the third special to be based on what YOU want. :) So I would like to ask: What do you want the third special chapter to be about? Please do comment your suggestions as I am going to read through them all. :) Again, thank you! <3


	39. After Love & Spies (Bonus 1.2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which happy ever afters do exist.

Marinette nibbled on her nails and stood on her tiptoes, gazing around the venue as she waited for a familiar face to arrive. Her chest felt heavy and she found it even harder to breathe because of the corset that was squeezing her body. She wouldn’t have chosen to wear it if it weren’t for Alya.

Adrien, Nino and Stefano were on a mission today and luckily, it was their last day and they should have been there by now. They should have arrived hours ago but as the day dragged by and no one told her of his presence, Marinette only grew more worried. She swore to the heavens above that if he does not arrive by the time the humungous wooden doors push open she would run away from this church and drag him there herself.

He was nowhere to be seen and it was their wedding day for heaven’s sake!

The day that they had been waiting to arrive for _years._

“Marinette, love, stop biting on your nails!” her mother scolded, pulling her fingers away form her mouth.

“He will arrive, darling, just you wait,” her father reassured.

“Oh, he will, _Mamman_ and Papa. If he does not I will not agree to have this marriage redone,” Alya glowered.

Juleka and Rose giggled in front of her.

“He did promise to be here, did he? There is nothing to worry about, Marinette.” Rose said.

“Stefano said so himself,” said Juleka. “They will be here any minute now.”

Marinette took a few deep breaths, calming her nerves. She gripped on her bouquet and pushed the veil away from her face.

She did not waste months designing her wedding gown just for him not to see it. Marinette made sure that she would be as precise as possible- adding details that she and Adrien liked.

The dress has a moderate scoop, showing just enough skin on her chest. The off the shoulder capped sleeves was the only thing suggested by Adrien. Marinette presumed that it had something to do with when he saw her wearing a dress that showed off her shoulders from years ago. He said that he loved it when she wore dresses with that kind of sleeve. Intricate beadings and embroidery flowed through the dress adding a simple flare. What Marinette loved the most about her dress was the fact that the fabric of her skirt was too light that it followed her every move. It almost looked like waves billowing around her.

It had only been eight months since she graduated and as soon as she saw Adrien’s face amongst the crowd that watched her officially have a degree, she knew that she was ready for spending the rest of her life with him. Well, she was always ready but now she was ready of making it official. Her parents had been nothing but lovely and Marinette was forever thankful for that. When she first told them that she was engaged, the first thing they asked her is that if she was happy. It took quite awhile before Adrien finally met them personally but Marinette could conclude that it was indeed worth it. He warmed up to them in no time and though her father was a bit skeptical of him at first- for a few days, actually –they now get along just fine.

“Ah, I believe it is already my turn,” her mother said as the instrumental shifted.

Marinette began to panic. “What? _Mamman_ ,”

Her mother looked back at her, chuckling. “Do not fret, Marinette. He will be here.”

And with that, she began walking down the aisle.

It didn’t take long when the number people in front of her began to slowly lessen and lessen as the minutes passed by. Adrien’s father was already inside- in fact, he was one of the guests who had arrived early. And had she mentioned that the gown she was wearing was tailored in Gabriel Agreste’s company?

Marinette tapped her foot, wringing the stem of the bouquet in her hands.

“Believe in him, _ma chérie_ ,” her father whispered. “Your groom will be here before you even know it.”

Marinette released a staggered breath. If her parents believed that he would be there then there was no reason that she shouldn’t. One of the hardest things they had to conquer in their relationship was Adrien’s profession. Her parents knew about him being a spy and though they didn’t quite accept it at first, they made him promise that he will never get her in danger for as long as they lived. Marinette never got to tell them about the fiasco that happened in London years ago. And she chose not to. It was confidential in the first place and she feared that it would only put a strain on their relationship with Adrien. And so she decided that she would bury it all in the past.

Marinette barely acknowledged the commotion that was going on not too far away from them as agitation swarmed her furthermore. The bridesmaids were now down the aisle and it wouldn’t take long until it was her turn to enter the church. Could it be that he had forgotten they were going to be wed in Paris and not in London?

“You must go straight inside the church now, Adrien.”

Marinette froze as she heard Stefano’s distant voice.

_Adrien?_

“There is an entrance at the back. You may enter there.”

_Is he here already?_

“Where is she?”

Marinette’s knees wobbled as she finally heard his voice.

She was so tempted of turning around to see him but she knew that she shouldn’t.

“Are you stupid? You may not see the bride before the wedding. That is bad luck!” Nino chastised.

“I have a damn blindfold over my eyes, Nino. I won’t see her no matter how much I want to.”

Marinette giggled at what he said. Nino must be the one who thought of that.

Her father took her hand and wrapped it around his arm. “It won’t be long now,” he patted her hand. “Your groom has finally arrived.”

Marinette caught a glimpse of the tears that were starting to build up in her father’s eyes as he looked at her.

“Papa,” she whispered, a lump beginning to form on her throat.

Her father grinned at her. “My little girl is finally getting married,” he said, his voice breaking. “Do not mind your old man, here. You must not ruin those…things on your face. Alya may scold me if she finds out that I made you cry.”

Marinette dabbed the sides of her eyes to stop the tears. “It is called a make-up, Papa.”

“I knew that.”

They shared a laugh until it was only the two of them left outside.

“Papa.” Marinette squeezed on his arm. “I’m scared.”

She was feeling quite all right before but now that it was actually happening, she suddenly felt the need for some time alone. She wanted to marry Adrien, of course. It was all she ever wanted. She was trembling and her breathing had picked up. What was wrong with her?

“It is all right to be scared, Marinette,” said her father. “In fact, when your mother and I got married she fainted just before she walked down the aisle and we had to delay the wedding for a couple of hours,” he smiled at the memory. “You being afraid of what the future may hold for the both of you simply means that you care for what is to happen. You want to be happy with him and you will do whatever it takes just to make that happen.”

He gave her a smile of assurance. “And I believe that he shall do the same because the man that is going to receive you at the altar loves you with all of his life.”

Marinette swallowed as she felt fresh tears building up. “Thank you, Papa.”

The organizers that held the doors closed nodded at them, signaling that it was time.

_This is it._

Marinette briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_I can do this._

The music rises as the doors pushed open, revealing them to the guests. Marinette gripped on her father’s arm, steadying herself as she felt her knees wobble. They stood from their seats, greeting her with genuine smiles. Marinette relaxed herself and tried to be as poised as possible. She gave them small nods and waves as she passed by them, thanking them for their presence. Her relatives and friends were all gathered on the left while Adrien’s colleagues were at the right. They tried to keep the list small but even though the number of gusts weren’t that many, Marinette still felt as though she was being watched by thousands of people.

The spies gave her encouraging nods and Marinette couldn’t help but giggle at the thought that her wedding had such high security that if anyone dared to interrupt it, they would be tackled by the spies in no time. And to think that these spies get to watch their colleague’s wedding- one that they never thought would actually get married –warmed every inch of her heart.

She caught a glimpse of Jermaine and Rosella and she beamed at them. If it weren’t for them, she and Adrien would have never met again. Mrs. Rosella dabbed her eyes with a white cloth as she watched Marinette. And beside her were Juleka, Rose and Alya. Alya gave her a wink and a thumbs up, the tears behind her glasses evident from Marinette’s view. And then there was her mother who was already bawling her eyes out and was trying to be- desperately -calmed down by Mrs. Rosella. Marinette’s mother smiled at her through the tears and Marinette mirrored the curve on her lips, silently thanking her for all the things she had done that led to this moment.

“Marinette,” her father whispered. “Look ahead.”

She had been too immersed in greeting the guests that she forgot about her own groom.

Her eyes turn forward.

And there he was.

His blonde hair was slicked back, making Marinette want to squeal in delight. His suit was crisp and spruce and Adrien looked nothing more but dapper.

And to think that he belonged to her…

They gazed at each other as though they were the only ones that existed in the entire universe. She could almost feel his excitement thrum through her. His eyes were gentle and his smile was loving. Marinette could feel his love pouring over her and wanted nothing more but to run into his arms. But then that would ruin the tradition, would it?

They stopped on a particular spot, finally reaching the place where they should be. Marinette’s father turned to her, his eyes watering.

“Papa,” she whispered.

Her father shook his head, smiling. He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her forehead through the thin veil.

“I will always be your Papa, _ma chérie_. Never forget that.”

Marinette nodded, keeping her tears from falling.

He then made his way towards Adrien and engulfed him in a hug.

“Miss Marinette,”

Her head turned to the voice. Marinette smiled up at him. “ _Père_ ,” she greeted.

Though it took her awhile to get used to not calling Gabriel Agreste by Monsieur, his constant insistent of her dropping the too formal greeting truly helped a lot.

He gave her a hug, patting her shoulder as he did. “My son can be very stubborn at times,” he said and pulled away. “And those are the moments when he needs you the most,” he advised.

Marinette nodded.

They both share a smile before Gabriel took her hand and glanced at Adrien. Adrien took a step towards his father and they exchange a look only the two of them understood. Gabriel placed her hand on Adrien’s and gave their hands a squeeze.

“Be happy,” he said before joining the others on the far corner.

They both faced forward, hearts on their throats and the ceremony commenced.

“Sorry,” she heard Adrien whisper.

Marinette lightly shook her head. “I am glad you made it.”

“Of course I would.”

Marinette giggled.

_Of course._

Her eyes trailed up to meet his.

But she took a sharp breath when she saw something on his neck.

_What in the world?_

“What is the matter?” he whispered, keeping his eyes locked forward.

“You stupid cat.” Marinette hissed.

“What did I do?”

Marinette grumbled as she slipped her hand inside the hidden pocket on her gown and pulled out a silk cloth. She inched closer to him and turned her body slightly towards him.

He could have at least cleaned himself up.

Marinette slipped her arm out of her veil and wiped the speck of blood off of his neck. She did it as fast and as gentle as she could before resuming her previous position.

“What is it?” he whispered.

“Blood.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw him grimace.

_Ah, well, if I am going to be the wife of a spy I should expect that this would not be the only time._

“You are lucky that I love you.” Marinette found his hand and laced their fingers together. She soothed it with her thumb, telling him that it is all right. Adrien let out a sigh through his nose, relieved that Marinette wouldn’t scold him later for it- or she might.

As the ceremony went on, they held on each other’s hands, having no intention to let go. They will announce their promises together and they shall declare their love that is there to stay until the end of time. Whatever obstacle that was to come, they would conquer it together.

And it shall always be like that.

 

~

 

The ceremony has finally ended and they both share a deep kiss that officially marks their union. The reception seemed more like a dream as their guests conversed and laughed together with the two of them. Marinette had to take off her shoes because of the constant standing and dancing. Many memories were created and she intended to bring it with her wherever she may go. And of all the things that had happened in the reception, the one that she loved the most was that when she threw her bouquet, Alya was the one who caught it. Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at the shocked look on Alya’s face as she stared at the bouquet in her hands. Nino couldn’t even bring himself to look at her as their colleagues teased him about it.

All of it truly was a dream come true.

But what racked her nerves even more so than before was with the events that may happen tonight.

She and Adrien left the reception from the moment that they could without being discourteous to their guests. And now they stayed at a fancy hotel that was apparently a gift from Adrien’s father himself.

Marinette could feel herself shaking.

Adrien even had a drink or two for heaven’s sake!

“Adrien, I already told you need not to carry me!” she complained as Adrien pushed the door close with his foot.

“Ah, but it is tradition, is it?” he said and kissed her nose.

Marinette let out a breath.

He tightened his grip on her, pressing her close to his body as they were nearing the bed.

“Ow!” Marinette flinched as she felt something pressing against her hip.

“What is the matter?” Adrien asked, concerned as he gently laid her down the bed.

Marinette placed her hand on her hip, rubbing it. “There was something hard against it earlier.”

It might be the buckle of his belt but it didn’t feel like it. Could it be her corset?

“It must be because of this.”

Marinette’s eyes widened at the gun that he held in his hand.

“Wha-Did-” she shook her head, and stared at the gun again. “You brought a gun on our wedding?”

Adrien sighed, placing it inside a drawer. “I did not intend to bring it,” he reasoned. “I forgot that I still had it.”

Marinette fell back on the bed, the color draining from her face.

First the blood now this? What if someone had seen it? Well, it wouldn’t faze them anymore since they already knew that Adrien was a spy but what if her relatives who had no idea of his profession had? What in the world could have happened?

Adrien joined her on the bed and rested his head on her chest. “Are you really going to get mad at me on our first night as a married couple?”

His voice sounded soft and sweet and Marinette couldn’t help but drive all of her troubles away. This was their first night as a couple and she didn’t want to start it with them fighting. They could fight later but now was not the perfect time.

“And to think of it, it is already the start of our honeymoon.”

A flush crept up her face.

_Right._

She watched as his body rested above hers, his breathing even. Marinette threaded her fingers through his hair, combing the soft strands. Adrien hummed and she could feel his warm breath against her chest.

“You are not sleeping, are you?”

If he was, Marinette might start feeling drowsy as well.

Adrien shook his head. “I am just gathering up enough energy just so I could keep you awake all night.”

_Wait._

_What?_

She felt his lips against her chest.

“We are finally married, aren’t we?”

Marinette smiled to herself. “Finally.”

A breath escaped her lips as she felt his hand trailing up to her thigh. Adrien’s fingers pulled on the garter.

“So this is what Alya was talking about,” he mused.

_Damn you, Alya._

“I heard that this belongs to a present for me,” he trailed kisses from the tops of her breasts to her shoulders. “Is that correct?”

Marinette swallowed.

“Maybe.”

She bit her lip as his hand travelled far up. His fingers grazed the fabric on her hips. Then his lips were on her neck, her jaw, and the skin behind her ear.

“It seems like it is connected to one piece,” he concluded. “I might have to take all of this off of you.”

Marinette closed her eyes as his lips were finally on hers. Their kiss was deep, intense and carnal. She could feel his hunger for her and she, too, was starting to feel the same. Adrien’s heart was racing and she could feel it against her chest. Marinette felt dizzy as they kissed on and on, taking their sweet time. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his suit and pushed it down his back. His vest came next, his tie and then his shirt, too, was now discarded somewhere around the room.

Marinette ran her fingers down his stomach, marveling at how strong he was. She had seen him without his shirt a couple times before but she never really got to relish it like this.

Adrien caught her hand and placed it beside her. He pulled away from her his breathing erratic. “You have already undressed me and yet you are still wearing this thing.”

Marinette giggled at his frustrated expression. “It is a wedding gown, chaton. Made just for you.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Well, I love it but I love what is underneath more.”

“Eager, are we?” she teased.

“Don’t start.” Adrien warned.

He pushed himself up, stared down her dress, wondering how in world is he going to get it off her and fast. Marinette did insist to not include a corset because she knew full well that this would happen. And Adrien did request to have the corset be crossed off the list as well. But they lost against Alya- as expected.

Marinette laughed as Adrien continued to study the dress. She pushed up on her elbows, pecked his lips and turned herself around.

“Start with the ribbon,” she said, now lying on her front.

His fingers tugged on the ribbon, slightly loosening the corset. And after a few seconds of pulling on the thread, Adrien said. “Oh, forget about the bloody ribbons.”

In one swift movement, the corset loosened around her as Adrien pulled it apart with his very hands. The sound of ripping fabric resonated around the room.

She couldn’t believe that he just tore her dress.

Marinette slipped the sleeves off her arms. She shrieked when Adrien suddenly flipped her around.

_Why is it cold all of a sudden?_

Adrien stared down at her his eyes filled with desire and confusion at the same time. Marinette furrowed her brows at him and glanced down. She blanched as she saw that she was wearing _nothing_ on her chest now. Her arms shot up, covering it. She was certain that she wore it earlier.

Where could it have gone to?

Adrien continued staring at her, his head cocked to the side.

Marinette blushed. “You-Don’t look at me like that,” she shrank.

Adrien blinked at her. “Is there supposed to be something there?”

The blush on her cheeks deepened. “You ripped it off with the corset.”

It was Alya and the others who had insisted for her to wear it. It was a thinner corset that was made white lace and it was connected to the undergarment on the other half of her body. But it seemed like Adrien had ripped the hooks off of it as well.

“Nevermind that thing,” he said, leaning back down. He caught her hands, gently pulled them away from her chest and rested them on each side on her head. Adrien gazed at her, his pupils dilating.

“You are so beautiful, Marinette.”

She wanted to cry from that alone.

Adrien kissed her eyes, her nose, her cheeks and then her lips. He leaned back to gaze at her once more.

“Absolutely beautiful.”

Adrien laced their fingers together.

Marinette wanted to touch him, too.

She wanted to be able to make him feel that she loved him, too.

“You are so unfair,” she whispered, her voice horse.

Adrien kissed her forehead. “I know.”

As she felt his fingers loosen around hers, she brought her hands up, cupping his face. She caressed his cheeks, staring deep into his eyes. “I love you, Adrien. So much.”

Adrien’s breath hitched. He leaned down, nuzzling his nose against hers. “And I love you. More than anything in this world.”

Marinette giggled, feeling tears prick her eyes. “How romantic.”

Adrien groaned at her but smiled all the same. “You ruined the moment.”

Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him down to her for a kiss. “Come here.”

Nothing can ever match her love for him and she knew that it would never fade away no matter what happens. They will be making a lot of firsts on their first night as husband and wife and Marinette was going to cherish them all. And would make sure not to leave anything behind.

 

~

 

As the night dragged by, the once orderly room now had fabrics of clothing scattered around the floor and a few undergarments precariously hooked on lamps. Hums and moans of pleasure and adoration echoed against the four walls as seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours. The lady and the spy declared their love for one another through the night and up until the sun came up.

It was a long, long journey until they got to this moment where they were in each other’s arms, waiting for the other wake-up. And they both knew that this was only the beginning towards another chapter of their delightful yet thrilling adventure. No matter how many difficulties they had to conquer, they would conquer it together. And they will succeed just as they did when they were once just a spy lost in his own world of deception and a lady who was set to save the one she loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anything elseeee, I'd like to apologize for the delay of posting this bonus chapter. ToT It took me a month and the reason behind that is, of course- school. For the past month I had no time to write or edit at all. We're already starting to write our thesis paper and we're asked to create 3 thesis topics with each of them having three chapters. Not only that but the projects and homework were a pain as well.
> 
> But anyways, thank youuuuu so much for still reading this and for looking forward for this bonus chapter. I hope that you enjoyed this just as much as I did; and this story as a whole. <3 I can't promise that I'll be able to post the third and last bonus chapter next week or anytime soon as I still have a lot to do and I still haven't written it :(. But one thing's for sure, it'll definitely see the light of day :) just not as early as I expected.
> 
> This fic isn't over- kind of -yet, but I'd like to thank you guys for the AMAZING eight months that we've all shared. This won't be the last AU but it'll take time before I publish a new fic and I hope that you'll still be there when that comes. :) And most importantly, I hope that this story inspired you to create one of yours. :D If so, I would loooovee to read it. <3
> 
> Again, thank you, thank youuuu! Please do enjoy this chapter and I hope that you'll all look forward for the third bonus. :) God bless! :*


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